UAE Cabinet Allocates AED 2 Billion Funds For Homes Damaged During Floods

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai announced the allocation of AED two billion for houses that got damaged due to bad weather conditions.

During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, the prime minister acknowledged the impacts of the recent extreme weather conditions the United Arab Emirates experienced last week, saying "the situation was unprecedented in its intensity."

"We are a country that learns from every experience," he added.

He noted that the "central operations rooms responded to more than 200,000 reports, with the joint effort of over 17,000 members from the security, emergency and interior entities, 15,000 members from the local authorities, and thousands of volunteers to manage the consequences of this exceptional weather event," WAM reported.

The prime minister thanked UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his support in helping the country return to normal quickly, noting that the president issued directives to conduct damages assessments, provide support for families, and immediately assess the status of the infrastructure.

The prime minister announced during the cabinet meeting that the government allocated AED two billion to address the damages suffered by citizens' homes, adding that a ministerial committee will be supervising this file, assessing damages, and providing compensations with the help of federal and local authorities.

Furthermore, the cabinet also formed a committee to assess the damage caused by floods and rain to infrastructure and propose solutions and measures at the national level.

The committee is chaired by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and includes members from the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority alongside other federal entities and representatives from all seven emirates.

The cabinet meeting was attended by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; and Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

The cabinet also looked at the bright side of the exceptional weather event and called it a "blessing" for the UAE as the "dams filled up, the valleys flowed with rainwater, and the underground water reserves replenished."