UAE charity pays 2800 students

A charity organisation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) paid school fees for around 2,800 needy students in 2010. The Zakat Fund offered a sum of 10 million dirham ($2.7 million) through its “Read Project”. This initiative lifted the financial burden off nearly 1,000 families, said Abdullah Bin Oqeidah Al Muheiry, secretary general of the fund. The annual education assistance to each student was raised to 6,000 dirham ($1,600) from the earlier 3,700 dirham, he said.