Oman rubbishes Gulf zakat donation claims

Muscat: Oman’s Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs has denied reports that surplus zakat payments in Gulf countries will be donated to the sultanate.

An official at the ministry told Gulf News that reports about the Islamic tax are baseless, stressing that the ministry did not receive any anything.

The response came after Saudi and Bahraini newspapers published stories that surplus Gulf zakat payments would go to Oman and Bahrain.

The surplus was supposed to cover the needs of the poor, hospital patients who do not have the means to pay their bills, and students who want to continue their studies, according to the media reports.

The official pointed out that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not informed the Awqaf ministry of any such decision.

Meanwhile, donations via the government electronic gateway exceeded more than a million rials since the the system was launched in 2009. Moreover, the disbursement of zakat at the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs amounted to half a million rials for the first time in its history.