Sitr Initiative Launched By Rental Disputes Centre And Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charitable Establishment To Help Dubai Families

The Rental Disputes Centre (RDC) and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charitable Establishment have launched the "Sitr" initiative. It is a year-long programme in 2026 supporting families struggling with rent in Dubai. The initiative targets the release of 111 tenants and support for 232 families using AED10 million.

Designed as a community-focused project, the Sitr initiative supports the UAE’s National Agenda for Family Growth. It aligns with both organisations’ strategies to strengthen social cohesion and humanitarian work in Dubai. The programme also promotes family stability by easing rent for households facing legal or financial pressure.

At its core, the Sitr initiative seeks to resolve complex rental-related issues across Dubai. It aims to release individuals detained over unpaid rent and settle 187 enforcement files. The programme also aims to improve the RDC’s key performance indicators while reinforcing its humanitarian role alongside its judicial mandate in the emirate’s rental sector.

Sitr is framed around a humanitarian mission to give beneficiary families a greater sense of security. It seeks to preserve family bonds and limit the social impact of rental disputes. The initiative reflects Dubai’s long-standing values of compassion, generosity, and support for people in need, backed by AED10 million from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charitable Establishment.

The programme is seen by the partners as a way to deepen social solidarity and protect family stability across the emirate. It supports tenants at risk of detention or displacement because of rental debts. The approach encourages collective responsibility, and Judge Abdulqader Mousa Mohammed, Chairman of the Rental Disputes Centre, highlighted its importance to this humanitarian approach.

"Sitr is an extension of the principles upon which Dubai was built, principles that reflect the highest ideals of solidarity and giving. Our role extends beyond the implementation of judicial procedures; it includes standing alongside families facing financial hardship. Through this initiative, we further solidify the values of compassion and social responsibility within our Emirati community."

The Rental Disputes Centre collaborates with relevant entities to ensure aid reaches the most eligible cases. Support is allocated using transparent and equitable criteria. These include social conditions, outstanding rental liabilities, income sources, past payment behaviour, and verified documentation. This process is designed so that assistance is distributed with integrity and fairness.

Saif Omar Aldelail, Member of the Board of Trustees at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charitable Establishment, explained how the partnership with the Rental Disputes Centre fits into wider charitable activity. The cooperation reflects a commitment to support families under financial strain in Dubai. It also links charitable work with broader national priorities focused on family stability.

"Our contribution to the ‘Sitr’ initiative comes at the dawn of a new year designated by our wise leadership as the Year of the Family, and represents the first of our domestic charitable initiatives for 2026. This step stems from our firm belief in empowering humanitarian efforts and fulfilling our social responsibility to stand by families in need, guided by noble values that promote family stability, societal cohesion that symbolizes the UAE’s distinguished humanitarian identity."

Running across the whole of 2026, the Sitr initiative is positioned as a shared responsibility project involving judicial and charitable partners. It supports wider social programmes and reinforces Dubai’s status as a global centre for humanitarian leadership. By addressing 111 tenants, 187 enforcement cases, and 232 families, it links legal enforcement with practical support for rental sector stability.

With inputs from WAM