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Dubai: Over 10 unlicensed charity fundraisers busted

Dubai - In the UAE, it is illegal to raise money from the public without seeking prior approval from the competent authorities.

More than 10 unlicensed fundraising charity campaigns in Dubai were busted by authorities recently.

The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai (IACAD) on Monday reiterated that it is a must for any kind of charity fundraiser to have a written approval from the authority before proceeding.

In the UAE, it is illegal to raise money from the public, either for donations or charity, without seeking prior approval from the competent authorities, such as the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (GAIAE) at the federal level or IACAD in the emirate of Dubai.

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IACAD in a statement said that it supports fundraising campaigns and charitable activities in Dubai to ensure that donations reach the intended beneficiaries.

It added that, in order to regulate donations, the organisers must adhere to the provisions of Article No. (3) of Decree No. (9) of 2015 in Dubai. According to this article, it is prohibited to collect donations or allow them to be collected in the emirate. Even announcing charity donation drives through visual or readable means or other media is not permitted without the department's prior written approval.

Ahmed Darwish Al-Muhairi, executive director of the charitable work sector in IACAD, stressed that the process of organising fundraising requires effective and clear systematic efforts. He noted that more than 10 unlicensed charitable campaigns were discovered in various regions of Dubai, in which the department documented all violations through judicial seizures.

He emphasised that regulating donations contributes to the development of the community and enhances the culture of charitable work among its members.

“IACAD works on announcing the accredited charities and approved charitable campaigns to which an individual can direct his donations to, by making sure of the presence of IACAD’s logo with the permit number.”

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Muhammad Musabbeh Dahi, director of charitable institutions department at IACAD, explained that unlicensed donation campaigns can lead to exploiting the community’s desire to do good deeds. This, he said, can lead some members of the community, as a result of their lack of knowledge, to donate to entities and people who do not deserve it.

Dahi stressed that IACAD is working according to the highest international standards to facilitate the means for those wishing to organise donation campaigns and charitable activities and works continuously with all concerned authorities to ensure that donations reach their beneficiaries.

saman@khaleejtimes.com