UAE 2021 budget: Social development gets Dh26.04 billion

Dubai: Nearly 43 per cent of the UAE’s Dh58.11 billion federal budget for 2021 will be assigned for social development and social benefits, according to the Ministry of Finance.

In a tweet, the Ministry said the 2021 budget “centres on the wellness and prosperity of UAE citizens, in addition to developing an infrastructure that fosters investment, increasing the UAE’s competitiveness in various fields and investing in innovation.”

Federal projects have been assigned Dh3.9 billion, while government affairs get Dh21.3 billion (34.8 per cent of the budget).

For 2020, the UAE had approved a zero-deficit budget of Dh61.35 billion, which was a near 2 per cent increase on the Dh60.29 billion in 2019.

Last year, Dh21.90 billion (31.13 per cent) was allocated for social development and Dh4.56 billion (6.49 per cent) for social benefits. Another Dh9.85 billion (14 per cent) went into infrastructure and economic resources, and Dh22.95 billion (32.61 per cent) on government affairs.