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UAE families can get up to Dh350,000 for home damage under new crisis aid rules
Emirati families receiving social support can apply for assistance for crisis-related home damage, covering essentials such as furniture, appliances, and fittings
- PUBLISHED: Tue 25 Aug 2026, 6:00 AM
UAE families already receiving social support can now apply for up to Dh350,000 if their homes are damaged in a qualifying crisis or disaster, under new Cabinet rules that came into effect on August 15.
The financial support is intended to help with verified losses to a home and essential household contents. It applies where external factors cause material damage to five homes or fewer the threshold used in the resolution’s definition of a crisis or disaster.
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Cabinet Resolution No. 135 of 2026 replaces the UAE’s previous disaster-relief framework, introduced under Cabinet Resolution No. 22 of 2008.
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Who can apply for the assistance?
Under the resolution published on the UAE Legislation website, the support is available to UAE nationals who are permanent residents and receive federal social support or assistance through local government programmes.
The damaged home must be in the UAE, and applicants need an official damage report from the competent emergency, civil-defence or government authority.
However, damage caused by negligence, trespassing, default or intentional acts is not covered. Applicants must also provide accurate documents and cannot receive duplicate emergency assistance from another UAE entity for the same loss.
What does the support cover?
The scheme covers damage to the home and important household items, including furniture, domestic electrical appliances, and essential interior and exterior finishes and fittings. The final amount will depend on the official damage assessment, with a separate ministerial schedule to set values for different types of loss. No case can exceed Dh350,000.
Several items are excluded, including cars, cash, business or professional assets, boats, animals, crops, jewellery, antiques, and swimming pools.
What families need to know
Families have 30 days from the date of the crisis or disaster to submit their application to the Ministry of Community Empowerment along with the required documents.
The Ministry must decide on a complete application within seven working days. If no response is issued within that period, the application is considered rejected.
Applicants who are denied assistance or receive less than the amount they requested can file a grievance within 15 days of being notified. The relevant committee then has 30 days to issue its decision, which is final.
If another UAE entity has already paid compensation for the same damage but the amount is lower than the support assessed under the new rules, the Ministry may cover the difference. Applicants must disclose any compensation they have received or are entitled to receive.
The payment will generally be made in the affected homeowner’s name. In rented homes, assistance is limited to the tenant’s verified property losses. The Ministry can recover the full amount if it finds that support was obtained using incorrect information, without affecting any possible civil or criminal action.
Ruqayya Alqaydi is an associate editor with an endless curiosity to learn. Like a journalist on a caffeine overdrive, she is fuelled by passion and on a mission to uncover every gem in the UAE.