Dubai officials clamp down on 10 unauthorised fund-raisers following violations

Dubai: Dubai officials have halted more than 10 unlicensed fund-raising campaigns in the emirate, warning that only authorised charity initiatives are allowed to proceed after written approval.

The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai (IACAD) supports and regulates fund-raising campaigns and charitable activities in Dubai to ensure that donations reach the intended beneficiaries. However, organisers must follow the provisions of Article No. 3 of Decree No. 9 of 2015 regulating donations in the emirate.

Approval needed

The article says it is prohibited to collect donations or allow them to be collected in the emirate of Dubai or to announce them through visual or readable means or any other medium, unless it has the department’s prior written approval.

Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi, executive director of the charitable work sector in IACAD, said the process of organising fund-raising requires systematic efforts. He added that more than 10 unlicensed charitable campaigns were found in various areas of Dubai, in which the department documented all violations through judicial seizures.

Check the logo and permit

Al Muhairi said regulating donations contributes to the development of the community and enhances the culture of charitable work among its members. IACAD works on announcing the accredited charities and approved charitable campaigns to which an individual can donate, by ensuring the presence of IACAD’s logo with a permit number.

Exploiting people’s keenness

Mohammad Musabbeh Dahi, director of Charitable Institutions Department, IACAD, said unlicensed donation campaigns exploiting the community’s willingness to do charitable deeds, which leads some members of the community, as a result of their lack of knowledge, to donate to entities and people who do not deserve it. Dahi added that the department is working to the highest standards to facilitate the means for those wishing to organise donation campaigns and charitable activities. It works continuously with all concerned authorities to ensure that donations reach their beneficiaries.