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

Ramadan 2021: UAE launches remote payment solution for Zakat donations

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.

source: Tala Michel Issa

Image source: AFP

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”