Abu Dhabi: The UAE, last year's 16th largest foreign aid donor, has committed Dh5.83 billion in grants and loans to 137 countries and regions around the world, according to the UAE Foreign Aid 2012 report released on Monday by the Ministry of Development and International Cooperation.
The UAE also allocated Dh5.59 billion towards future projects. Nearly 78 per cent of these funds will be for official development assistance, according to the report.
Some 87 per cent of the UAE’s aid went to development projects (Dh5.07 billion), 6.9 per cent to humanitarian assistance (Dh404.4 million), and 6.1 per cent to charity projects (Dh356.2 million).
Asia was the top recipient of UAE assistance last year, receiving more than half or Dh3.24 billion of the total disbursements.
Dh2.24 billion was allocated to countries in western Asia, mainly Jordan, Palestine, Yemen and Azerbaijan.
Western Asia has been the primary destination of the UAE assistance for three consecutive years since 2009. Africa received more than 20 per cent aid last year or Dh1.26 billion.
