Sharjah raises minimum living standard to Dh20,000 for families, retirees, employees

His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has ordered the minimum monthly living standard to be raised to Dh20,000 for thousands of families receiving social assistance, government employees and retirees under a series of directives aimed at improving citizens' living standards.

Families receiving social assistance will see the minimum raised to Dh20,000 a month, effective from September 1, 2026. The measure will benefit 6,652 families at an annual cost to the Sharjah government of Dh195,130,164.

The Ruler also directed that the minimum living standard for retirees from the Sharjah government be raised to Dh20,000, benefiting 2,251 retirees at an annual cost of Dh113,056,572. Retired citizens who did not work for the Sharjah government and receive supplementary grants will also have their minimum raised to Dh20,000, benefiting 5,300 citizens at an annual cost of Dh159 million.

Government employees will also see the minimum living standard raised to Dh20,000, benefiting 17,776 employees at an annual cost of more than Dh720 million. Taken together, the measures cover more than 31,900 beneficiaries and families, with the additional annual cost exceeding Dh1.18 billion.