The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, represented by the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, has announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at ensuring the financing of housing support decisions for citizens benefiting from housing loans, particularly focusing on senior citizens.
As part of the Year of Community initiatives and with the goal of providing comprehensive insurance coverage, this initiative seeks to deliver life insurance that fully secures the value of the housing loan. It addresses previous challenges faced by this demographic, where the maximum loan coverage age was restricted to 70 years, leading to the rejection of some financing applications.
The insurance coverage is designed to be unified, equitable, and offered at a low cost, guaranteeing that all eligible citizens benefit from both current and future housing loans. It covers cases of death or total permanent disability, whether resulting from an accident or other causes, with extended coverage up to the age of 95, ensuring long-term financial protection for Emirati families.
The Ministry has indicated that the initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Central Bank of the UAE, financing partners, and Takaful service providers, as well as a wide array of national insurance companies, including Sukoon Takaful and Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC).
Prioritizing comfort and happiness of citizens
Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE minister of Energy and Infrastructure, affirmed that the initiative aligns with the leadership’s directives to enhance the stability of Emirati families and ensure a decent standard of living for all segments of society. He stated, “Our wise leadership places the comfort and happiness of citizens at the forefront of its priorities. This initiative reflects the UAE’s firm commitment to providing adequate housing as a cornerstone of comprehensive development. It represents a significant step in supporting senior citizens, as it is designed to address the challenges related to housing finance for this group, thereby improving their quality of life and contributing to family stability.”
Al Mazrouei added that collaboration with the banking sector and national insurance companies reflects the UAE’s strategic vision of building sustainable partnerships that support social and economic development. He commended the ongoing efforts to develop the housing system in the UAE into a global model.
Mohamed Al Mansouri, director-general of Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, emphasized that the initiative embodies the leadership’s forward-looking vision to empower Emirati families and strengthen their social stability. He clarified that through this initiative, the program aims to provide flexible financing solutions that cater to the needs of senior citizens while ensuring comprehensive insurance coverage to shield them from financial risks.
Flexible financing models for citizens
Al Mansouri noted that raising the maximum loan coverage age to 95 years marks a qualitative shift in housing policy, as it opens broader opportunities to benefit from housing support, enhancing social equity and reducing rejection rates caused by insurance or financing constraints.
In line with the initiative, the Central Bank of the UAE has issued a new regulatory notice allowing banks and financing companies to adopt more flexible financing models. The notice also permits financing for citizens with existing mortgages, provided that the new property serves as their primary and actual place of residence.
Citizens benefiting from the national loan program are included after verifying their repayment capability, which enhances the inclusiveness of the initiative and ensures fairness in the distribution of housing support.
This initiative is part of a series of achievements by the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, reflecting the UAE’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life for its citizens. In recent years, the program has undergone strategic developments that accelerated the housing support process, improved customer satisfaction, and expanded partnerships with the banking and financial sectors.
To support the initiative aimed at providing housing for senior citizens along with special insurance protection for housing loans, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, represented by the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, and Takaful service providers signed a partnership agreement with both Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC) and Sukoon Takaful.
UAE’s key housing milestones
The UAE continues to reach notable milestones in the federal housing sector, reinforcing its leadership in urban development and social stability, while solidifying its standing among the top countries globally in terms of quality of life.
In the first half of 2025, the UAE Cabinet approved housing decisions for more than 1,838 citizens, amounting to AED1.2 billion as part of the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, which has provided a total of AED63 billion ($17.15 billion) in assistance since its inception. Over 93,000 Emirati citizens have benefitted from this initiative to date, reflecting the nation’s commitment to empowering Emirati families and ensuring suitable housing as a fundamental pillar of societal stability.
In recent years, the program has undergone a series of strategic enhancements that have improved the housing system’s effectiveness, expedited the process of obtaining housing support, and increased customer satisfaction. Additionally, partnerships with the banking sector and financial institutions have expanded, aligning with the country’s focus on financial sustainability and innovation in service delivery, as reported by the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
From 2021 to 2024, the program achieved exceptional results in its performance indicators. The time required to secure a housing support decision was reduced by over 50 percent. The percentage of citizens owning homes rose to 91 percent—a 17 percent increase compared to 2017—while private sector funding accounted for 76 percent of the total, underscoring the effectiveness of the financial policies implemented.
Integrated model for financial sustainability
Customer satisfaction surveys also revealed that happiness levels regarding housing services have doubled, marking a 100 percent increase compared to 2021, signifying a substantial improvement in the efficiency of the government service system.
In this context, the UAE Cabinet has recently approved a new financing policy for the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, extending until 2041. This policy aims to issue 40,000 housing support decisions, divided into four phases. The first phase includes the issuance of 13,000 decisions at an estimated cost of AED11.5 billion, effectively doubling the number of annual decisions compared to previous years. This initiative is part of the country’s efforts to enhance resource sustainability and improve public spending efficiency.
The policy is based on an integrated model between the federal government and national banks, helping to alleviate the financial burden on the public treasury while providing flexible financing options for citizens.
Furthermore, the UAE Ministry has launched several regulatory initiatives in collaboration with the Central Bank of the UAE to address challenges associated with the implementation of the new policy. These include the “Flexible Loan,” which allows citizens to access housing finance that aligns with their financial capabilities, with the option to benefit from the finance gap for up to four years. Another initiative is the “Reuse of Housing Assistance Value,” enabling citizens to re-utilize assistance if their living conditions change. Additionally, the policy features an “Exemption of Retirement Contributions from Total Salary,” which enhances the process of assessing monthly income and broadens opportunities for obtaining housing support.
Introducing the Manzili bundle
As part of the government’s efforts to streamline procedures, the Ministry launched the “Manzili” bundle, which was recognized in the Zero Bureaucracy Awards as the Best Team across the UAE Government in the “Impact on People’s Lives” category. This package has reduced the number of entities a customer must interact with from 11 to just one, the number of procedures from 14 to three, and the required documents from 10 to just one. This was achieved through integration and coordination with 28 partner entities, resulting in a savings of over 9 million working hours, reducing fuel consumption by 55,000 liters, and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 586,000 kilograms—based on calculations for an estimated 5,000 users annually.
The Ministry also launched the national platform “Darak” as a unified window for offering advisory services and construction packages to citizens. This was accomplished in collaboration with the Ministry of Possibilities, the Social Solidarity Fund for Ministry of Interior employees, and local housing programs.
In a new achievement that highlights the UAE’s global standing in the housing sector, the country secured the presidency of the General Assembly of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) and gained membership in its Executive Board. This recognition bolsters the UAE’s role in supporting international efforts in housing and sustainable urban planning. UN-Habitat is an international UN agency based in Nairobi, Kenya, dedicated to promoting sustainable development of human settlements in social and environmental dimensions, ensuring adequate shelter for all. It includes a membership of 193 countries worldwide.
