The Union Water and Electricity Company has outlined the procedures for executing the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, to broaden the scope of electricity cost subsidies for UAE national farm owners with limited income. The initiative will now cover all UAE national farm owners within the company’s oversight in the northern Emirates. Operational and procedural preparations for the support program are underway and set to be implemented at the beginning of 2024.
Engineer Youssef Ahmed Al Ali, CEO of Union Water and Electricity Company, explained that, as per the presidential order, electricity costs will be subsidized for UAE citizen farm owners across all service areas. The actual cost borne by the company, based on subsidized consumption fees collected from farms, will be a mere 7.5 fils per kilowatt-hour, significantly lower than the previous cost ranging between 28 and 33 fils per kilowatt-hour.
The CEO confirmed the inclusion of farm owners currently registered under the limited-income farm owners’ initiative, initiated in July, into the new support program. This adds approximately 3,000 eligible accounts to the expected beneficiaries, bringing the total to around 9,000 farms in areas served by the company. Al Ali emphasized the importance of farm owners updating their data for ensured support eligibility and the necessity of consolidating all meters serving one farm into a single account.
The support, granted monthly following the approval of the respective account, will not have retroactive effects. It automatically ceases if a final invoice is issued for the registered account, emphasizing the critical role of data updates to avoid discontinuation of support.
Support eligibility is restricted to accounts registered before the royal decision’s issuance, excluding connections to new farms. Only one farm registered in the owner’s name, whether for personal or food security initiatives, is eligible. Additional conditions include the farm not being classified as “commercial” or used for commercial purposes. The owner should not receive other support from a local entity. Farm owners can identify the allocated support amount through the monthly consumption bill, with registration transactions for eligible farms accepted at Union Water and Electricity Company service outlets after confirming adherence to stipulated conditions.
