Bahtatboy

I received an email from Etihad this morning, encouraging me to donate my Etihad Guest miles to the Zakat fund. One of the fund’s projects is Social Institution Support Project: Helping Emiratis in need of land.

Is there really a need for foreigners’ donations to help Emiratis acquire land in their own country?

Millhouse

How funny. What do you think they will do with the land...?

Maybe it's prime arable land in the Philippines that they are after?

Bahtatboy

That's a point, I'd merely assumed it was in UAE. Maybe they're after the home counties now that they've bought up most of London.

banter64

Zahkat fund does not really provide for those who already have, this is a charity that provides for those in and out of the UAE who have nothing, there is a strict criteria of who can apply.

Take a look at the website to see where I am coming from

http://www.zakatfund.net/en/eCategories-of-Zakat.php

Bahtatboy

Thanks for that, but I'm still puzzled as to whether there are Emiratis who need outside assistance for land purchase. Perhaps naively I'm under the impression that most Emiratis would not fall into the "needy" category, but I'm genuinely ignorant in this regard.

shiva

thats the greatest non secret secret of the emirates. there are thousands of emiratis living in abject poverty as their countrymen and relatives live in absolute luxury. arguably one of this countries greatest failings and contrary to several rulings made over the years by sheikh zayed.
there is more than enough money to go around but those who control it would rather line their own pockets and get zakat to pick up the pieces than provide their own cousins with a living.

banter64

It wont let me give you Karma, but damm i applude you xxx thank you

There are so many Older UAE Nationals that have nothing, either they are widows with no family to support or just poor and are too old to work, let me give you an example the other day whilst shopping there was an old UAE national man who was picking cans out of the rubbish to be able to buy food for the next day, the government supply an allowance but when I tell you that it is roughly 2-3k aed per month it is not a great deal when they have maybe a small room to rent electricity and food to supply it does not go a long way, i stopped and asked him if he was OK, I gave him 100aed and he told me with the he can buy food for the next day and was almost in tears.

I am afraid a much as this place is my home, the rich will get richer and poor wii get poorer, its a sad fact that until the government change their ways and take a leaf out of Sheikh Zayes book things will not change. Since he dies the UAE nationals have suffered immensley and whilst there is the impression that they are loaded there are so many that are not.

shiva

karma is always nice but id rather have help getting out of jail when needed.

of all the things that have gone mad here since zayed death this great shame has to be right up there as the craziest.

banter64

You can always give me a call if you are in the hotel Al Awir x

shiva

an offer i hope i never have to take you up on

Roadking

Yep, also know many, many well off younger locals. being in the bike fraternity, you can't really be poor and mix in this circe. However, on several of the charity events we do, it never ceases to amaze me the, at times, abject poverty some of the locals live in particularly where children and challenged are concerned (hate that word but cannot think of another way of expressing myself).

UAE is not just Dubai and Abdabs and I think we forget that sometimes.


Ooh, and I hope I can call on you as well should the need arise ;

Is that a knocking I hear at my door???

K8-notlate

The poor Bidoon - those that don't have the 'qulusat qayed' - without this, they can't get anything from the government and aren't entitled to land, housing, education, a pension, healthcare, nothing - so much for the cradle to grave mentality of the UAE. A land of plenty that donates billions around the world for PR purposes but can't even provide for their own.

banter64

They can get healthcare, land eventually and they are entitles to education as long as they have the passport.

Norm_uk

From my understanding Zakat funds are discriminatory in nature as they are only used to help Muslims...

Bahtatboy

I don't think that was ever in question.