Abu Dhabi: There was a palpable sense of joy in the main receiving hall as dozens of Emiratis walked away with boxes of chocolates, documents and, most notably, keys to their new homes.

They were some of the 346 Emirati beneficiaries to be granted houses by presidential decree in Baniyas West, a suburb of the capital. Procedures for the distribution of these houses started in the capital on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City.

“This is such great news for me. My family and I have been living at my father’s house, and we cannot wait to move into our new home,” Ahmad Al Menhali, a 34-year-old engineer, told Gulf News.

The Abu Dhabi Government aims to provide stable housing options for Emiratis, and has allocated thousands of fully completed villas and residential plots over the last few years. This February, an order to distribute 1,436 new houses and 2,432 residential plots was announced.

A number of dedicated counters were set up at the municipality this week to handle the required processes.

According to a municipal press release sent on Tuesday, nearly 60 per cent of the houses have already been handed over.

Al Menhali himself had just collected the keys, title deeds and maintenance guidelines for his new home.

“I would like to thank our leaders for always taking care of our needs. It is not a small thing to be granted a fully complete house free of cost,” the father of four said.

He added that he was hoping to work on a bit of interior decoration, and move in with his family after Ramadan.

Omar Rashid, 33, a newly married administration executive, was another beneficiary who had just finished the procedures.

“I received a text message three days ago asking me to come collect the keys, and I was overjoyed. My wife and I cannot wait to move into our new home, and we will definitely be celebrating with family,” he said.

Amnah Saeed, a mother of six who lives with her family at her father-in-law’s residence, also received a house in Baniyas West.

“We cannot thank our government enough,” she said, as she hurried to one of the counters to submit her documents.

The municipality earlier urged beneficiaries to bring all required documents, including copies of their passports, their original identity cards and their family books, in order to complete the handing over process. It will also send representatives to assist special needs individuals who are unable to visit the municipality themselves.

The allocation of homes for Emiratis is undertaken by the Abu Dhabi Housing Authority, which is tasked with ensuring that Emirati families have access to suitable housing. The process is overseen by the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs. A representative from the Ministry earlier told Gulf News that houses are granted based on applicants’ level of need for new housing, and that priority is given to widows, divorced women, and those with special needs or large families.

As reported by Gulf News, more than 4,000 new homes in Al Falah area were distributed to Emirati families between 2012 and 2014.