Sharjah 2026 Projects To Deliver Benefits And Address Social Cases With Phased Support

H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi said that 2026 is planned as "a year of goodness", with the Government of Sharjah preparing many development projects and a new response to 10,600 cases registered with the Sharjah Social Services Department, aiming to bring every registered individual closer to a dignified standard of living in the emirate.

The Ruler of Sharjah explained that the government has already increased previous income figures, and international institutions now report high average individual income in the Emirate of Sharjah. However, the 10,600 registered cases highlight groups whose situations still fall below the level set for dignified living, which has placed this file at the centre of current government attention.

H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan said the government is dealing with these files one by one, as every case has its own context and needs. Treating all 10,600 cases as a single group might be faster, but would ignore real differences. This approach requires detailed study, adjustments to earlier plans, and tailored solutions for each registered household.

H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan continued, saying: "We are now working to address the situations of these cases individually, as each case has its own circumstances. We cannot treat them as similar groups to speed up the process; rather, it requires addressing each case separately. This necessitates studying and developing solutions for the ten thousand six hundred cases. During the study, the plan was changed more than once with our daughter Mariam Al Shamsi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Social Services Department. No one knows people’s circumstances; the self-respecting do not complain about their conditions. We search for them, learn about their situations, concern ourselves with them, and work to provide them with a dignified living."

In a telephone interview on "The Direct Line" programme, broadcast on Sharjah Broadcasting Authority and presented by Mohamed Hassan Khalaf, H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan detailed how the Social Services Department database is being used. Each file may represent one person or an entire family, so the total number of affected individuals could be several times higher than the 10,600 registered cases.

H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan said: "I want to speak about a category that no one pays attention to. We have set an amount of AED17,500 per month as the standard for a dignified living in the Emirate of Sharjah, while we have 10,600 cases registered with the Social Services Department. If each case includes one person, that means 10,600 individuals; if a single case includes two people, the number doubles and increases as the number of family members in each case increases. Sometimes we find that a single case includes six individuals. Do these people registered with the Social Services Department reach the monthly income level required for a dignified living?"

Government of Sharjah projects linked to Sharjah Social Services Department work

The Ruler of Sharjah noted that previous efforts included an investment project designed to generate income for individuals through assets. In practice, this model was not always successful, particularly when the holder died and the investment was divided among heirs. Commercial shops were also assessed but could not realistically absorb all 10,600 cases needing sustained income support.

H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan added: "We are now working with the Social Services Department, assisted in this matter by Abdullah Ibrahim Al Zaabi, Member of the Sharjah Executive Council and Chairman of the Department of Human Resources, to address the situations of these cases by dividing them into phases, starting with the easier cases so they are not delayed. God willing, you will soon hear good news about this category. We do not want any of these 10,600 cases to be in a position of need. This issue is what currently occupies me. The international institutions’ financial and administrative report on the Government of Sharjah showed that individual income is high in the Emirate of Sharjah, because we raised all previous figures. We began with allowances and employment, and we had an investment project for people, but we found it ineffective in some cases, including the death of the person and the fragmentation of their investment among heirs. We therefore turned to studying other means that would contribute to raising the individual’s standard of living through their personal participation in striving to achieve this. We considered commercial shops, but they cannot accommodate 10,600 cases. We also found that most of these cases are elderly people, who are goodness and blessing to us. We want to honour them and for them to live the remainder of what God has decreed for them in this life in comfort and joy, and we ask God to grant them health and wellbeing."

The Ruler of Sharjah highlighted that many of the 10,600 files concern elderly residents, described as a source of goodness and blessing. The current approach aims to protect their dignity, reduce financial pressure and allow them to live their remaining years with stability, within secure homes and with access to income that matches the defined dignified living standard.

H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan concluded his remarks by saying: "We bring good news of goodness and that 2026 will be a year of goodness, God willing. We are working on establishing and developing many beneficial projects. We have completed agricultural projects and others for dairy products and more. By the grace and favour of God, our projects are multiplying. We thank God for the blessing of safety and reassurance; people are in secure homes and stable jobs. We pray to God that 2026 will be a year of goodness for all people."

With inputs from WAM