UAE sets Dh350,000 limit on disaster aid for damaged homes

Dubai: The UAE has introduced rules allowing eligible Emiratis whose homes are damaged by crises or disasters to receive up to Dh350,000 in financial assistance to cover repairs and losses to household belongings.

Under Cabinet Decision No. 135 of 2026, the Ministry of Community Empowerment will provide relief and emergency support for damage to residential properties, including furniture, household electrical appliances and essential interior and exterior fittings.

The decision, published in Issue No. 829 of the Official Gazette, came into effect on August 15, 2026. It establishes eight eligibility requirements, a 30-day deadline for submitting applications and a seven-working-day period for authorities to make a decision.

The regulations define a crisis or disaster as an incident in which five or fewer homes suffer physical damage caused by external factors.

The amount of assistance will depend on the extent of the damage, which must be established through an official assessment report issued by the Federal Authority for Ambulance and Civil Defence, the relevant local civil defence authority or another government body responsible for responding to crises and disasters.

The Minister of Community Empowerment will issue a separate decision setting out the amounts payable for different categories of damage, subject to the Dh350,000 ceiling.

Who is eligible?

To qualify, applicants must be UAE citizens permanently residing in the country and beneficiaries of federal social support or assistance programmes provided by local government entities.

The damaged property must be located in the UAE, and the losses must be verified through an official assessment report.

Applicants will not qualify if the damage resulted from negligence, misconduct, failure to exercise due care or deliberate action.

They must also provide accurate information and supporting documents and must not have received relief and emergency assistance from another entity in the country.

What is excluded?

The regulations exclude damage to property used for commercial, industrial, professional or craft activities, along with vehicles, ships, fishing boats and cash.

Livestock, birds, fish, trees, plants and agricultural crops are also excluded.

Personal belongings, including clothing, jewellery and other valuables, will not be covered. The exclusions extend to antiques, paintings, chandeliers, books, private documents, parking spaces and swimming pools.

Homeowners, tenants and heirs

Assistance will generally be paid to the owner of the damaged property.

Where ownership has passed to heirs but the property remains registered in the deceased owner's name, the ministry may distribute the assistance to the heirs in accordance with its procedures.

Tenants may also receive support for verified damage to belongings they own.

If an applicant has already received compensation from another entity for the same damage, but that payment is lower than the amount assessed under the government scheme, the ministry will cover the difference.

Applicants found to have obtained assistance using false information or documents will be required to repay the full amount and may face civil or criminal liability.

Applications and appeals

Affected residents must submit their applications to the Ministry of Community Empowerment within 30 days of the incident, accompanied by the required supporting documents.

The ministry must decide on a completed application within seven working days. If no response is issued within that period, the application will be considered rejected.

Applicants whose requests are rejected, or who receive less assistance than requested, may appeal to the designated Grievances Committee within 15 days of being notified of the decision.

The committee must decide on the appeal within 30 days, and its decision will be final.

The new regulations replace Cabinet Decision No. 22 of 2008, which governed relief assistance in cases of public and private disasters.