Ramadan 2021: UAE launches remote payment solution for Zakat donations

Ramadan 2021: UAE launches remote payment solution for Zakat donations
April 20, 2021, 8:44 am

A sign which reads in Arabic Ramadan Kareem is seen pictured in front of Burj Khalifa in downtown Dubai on May 31, 2017. (File photo: AFP)

The United Arab Emirates’ Zakat Fund and Smart Dubai have launched a new secure Zakat payment service for the month of Ramadan, the Dubai Media Office reported on Tuesday.

Zakat, a form of donation or duty made by Islamic society members to charitable causes, is considered one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

The new service which can be accessed through the UAE’s DubaiNow application, calculates users’ Zakat amount based on Islamic Sharia law, allowing them to pay the full amount or a fraction of it.

Aside from providing over 100 public and private sector services to the city’s residents, the DubaiNow app also offers a range of services that cater to the Holy Month under its ‘Donations’ and ‘Islam’ categories. These include the Zakat al-Fitr service which allows users to make donations in the form of Iftar meals, enabled by the app’s collaboration with Dubai-based charity organization Dar al-Ber society.

Zakat Fund Secretary General (ZFSG) Abdullah Bin Oqeedah al-Muhairy has said that the advanced payment portal will ensure easier access to payment services for both new and existing Zakat payers.