Abu Dhabi: An atmosphere of heady anticipation was apparent and the halls of the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City were filled with hundreds of joyous Emiratis. They had gathered in the capital to receive keys to their new homes and deeds to their new plots.
The distribution of the houses and the plots across the emirate of Abu Dhabi was announced last week by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in line with the directives of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
In the capital, 1,463 houses and 2,432 plots will be handed over to Emirati beneficiaries. The houses and plots are located across the capital’s suburbs, including Khalifa City and Al Wathba.
According to a representative at the Abu Dhabi Housing Authority at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, beneficiaries are selected based on their level of need for new housing. Factors that are considered include family size, whether the parents are divorced, whether any parent is deceased and whether earning members have special needs.
In order to facilitate efficient distribution of houses and plots, counters have been specifically designated at the municipality. Recipients said that the process of receiving the deeds and getting water and electricity connections for their new homes took less than half an hour.
The first day of distribution saw nearly 60 per cent of beneficiaries leave with their ownership documents and keys. They were also informed about the contact details for maintenance and waste management companies, and given the house blueprints and documents for the connected water and electricity lines.
The municipality will continue to distribute the Abu Dhabi city housing units over the next few days.
In keeping with the presidential decree, 236 houses and 1,713 plots in Al Ain, and another 349 houses and 350 plots, will also be distributed soon.
A focus on providing Emirati families with stable and suitable housing has seen the leadership distribute nearly 4,800 villas in the capital’s Al Falah area since 2012.
