Ramadan 2023 donation guidelines: Paying restaurants to make iftar meals is not allowed

Abu Dhabi: The Department of Community Development in Abu Dhabi (ADDCD) said that outsourcing and paying restaurants to prepare iftar meals is a violation of donation laws in the UAE.

The authority referenced Federal Law No. (3) of 2021 in their tweet. The law covers the organisation and bylaw of fundraising activities and donations.

In the UAE, any fund-raising activity, whether it is carried out through traditional or digital methods, is restricted to entities classified by law as charitable and humanitarian organisations and to government and non-government public interest institutions whose decrees, laws, or resolutions of establishment confirm that they may conduct such activities.

According to the law, natural persons are not allowed to host, organise or carry out any fund-raising activity.

How to donate

Any non-profit association wishing to raise any type of donations in the UAE, must first obtain a licence from Ministry of Community Development or a competent authority in each emirate. Additionally, fund-raising must be done through one of the licensed charities or humanitarian organisations in the UAE.

Also, the applicant must get the approval from the respective charity, state the objectives of the fund-raising, list the names and present the ID’s of the persons in charge of the operation, mention the beneficiaries, and list the places where such fund-raising will be carried out.