DUBAI, 20th May, 2023 (WAM) — In line with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to support low-income farm owners in the UAE, the Ministry of Community Development and Etihad Water & Electricity have announced the implementation mechanism of the new support programme for low-income farm owners registered with Etihad Water & Electricity.
This support aims to reduce the financial burden related to electricity bills, as part of an integrated and holistic approach to support low-income families in the UAE.
The support will be rolled out starting July 2023, through the allocation of an annual amount of AED 8,400 per beneficiary, which is equivalent to a maximum consumption of 2,500 kw/h per month. Beneficiaries can check the monthly support amount by referring to their farms’ consumption bill through Etihad Water & Electricity’s service channels.
The Ministry will coordinate with the Etihad Water and Electricity on determining and revalidating the approved lists of beneficiaries on a monthly basis. Text messages will be sent to the beneficiaries, which will provide the necessary details in addition to an application form to be filled out. Beneficiaries can also register on the Ministry of Community Development’s website. The support covers eligible low-income farm owners who are registered in a federal or local social welfare programme.
Farms used for commercial purposes will not be eligible for the support, and the farm owner should not be receiving additional support for electricity consumption on any of their owned farms. If a beneficiary owns multiple farms, they should update their data with Etihad Water & Electricity before applying for the support program with the Ministry.
The Ministry will transfer the deducted amount directly to the Etihad Water & Electricity, after finalising and approving the list of beneficiaries. The amounts will be directly deducted from the monthly electricity bill of the farm.