DUBAI - Smart Dubai has announced it collaborated with the UAE Zakat Fund to launch a new and secure Zakat payment service on the government service application DubaiNow in time for the Holy Month of Ramadan.

The new service allows users to calculate their Zakat amount per Islamic Sharia law, and then pay the full amount or part of it. The feature adds to the existing set of services in the Donations and Islam categories of the DubaiNow app, which include the Zakat Al-Fitr payment service and allow users to donate Iftar meals in collaboration with the Dar al Ber Society.

Smart Dubai aims to provide the public with easy solutions to pay their Zakat Al-Fitr from the convenience of their phones or smart devices, without needing to physically visit a centre or a charity to make the payment.

"DubaiNow has established itself as an innovative city app allowing users to easily complete their everyday tasks and transactions, saving them time and effort," said Wesam Lootah, CEO of the Smart Dubai Government Establishment. "The application is a key driver of Smart Dubai’s strategic goals, accelerating the holistic digital transformation of the city, and helping transform the Dubai Government into a fully paperless government by December 12, 2021." "Our focus is currently on providing people with comprehensive, high-quality smart services that anticipate and meet their expectations, as well as offering effective, round-the-clock digital solutions," Lootah added.

On this occasion, Abdullah Bin Oqeedah Almuhairy, Zakat Fund Secretary-General (ZFSG), praised this joint initiative with Smart Dubai that resulted in launching a Zakat payment service through DubaiNow. Almuhairy said that launching a new payment channel through DubaiNow is an interpretation of the directives of the federal government that call for enhancing strategic partnerships with local governments. Since its establishment, the Zakat Fund has been working on expanding and facilitating government services provided to beneficiaries.

Almuhairy expressed his confidence that this advanced payment portal will guarantee easier Zakat payment for current and new Zakat payers. He added that this initiative comes as part of the series of continuous digitisation efforts by the Dubai Government, since the establishment of the Smart Dubai digital portal in 2005.

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2021.