You must have a licence to carry out this activity in UAE

The law came into effect in 2015 after it was seen that scam artists were taking advantage of kind-hearted philanthropists.

It is illegal in the UAE to carry out charitable activities unless permission was granted ahead by the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Department (IACAD) in Dubai.
The law came into effect in 2015 after it was seen that scam artists were taking advantage of kind-hearted philanthropists, extorting money in the name of charity.
So, if UAE residents want to take part in any kind of charitable activities, whether that's fundraising, donating, promoting a charity by any means or channel, they need to obtain a licence from the IACAD beforehand.
Khalfan Khalifa Al Mazrouie, chairman of Dar Al Ber Society, had told Khaleej Times that the decree protects philanthropists from falling prey to fraud and racketeering. "It also ensures that the charity collected is delivered to eligible beneficiaries," he said.
The move is expected to have a positive impact on fundraising and charitable donations, he added. "The decree will boost charitable work in the emirate of Dubai while donors will be sure that their contributions are delivered to the right people," Al Mazrouie said.
Abdullah Ali bin Zayed, executive director of the Dar Al Ber Society, said the UAE spares no effort to boost charitable and humanitarian work based on a set of transparent and precise procedures and benchmarks. "The country has achieved a quantum leap in charity work and has become the first humanitarian capital worldwide with most foreign relief aid contributed in 2013 and 2014," he said.
Residents must present their Emirates ID card in order to obtain a licence and permission from the Islamic Affairs Department.
The move took effect after the Emarat Al Khair or Emirates Charity web portal was linked with the Emirates Identity Authority whereby 20 charity associations and establishments in Dubai are connected under one umbrella.
 Ali Khalfan Ahmad Al Mansoori, director of the Charitable Institutions department, told Khaleej Times in 2015 when the law was first issued that the 20-subsystem project, the first of its kind in the world, helps charitable entities work more proficiently by automating all interior and finance operations for the benefit of donators, donation channels, and beneficiaries.
"The project, worth over Dh13 million, is meant to put an end to duplication and manipulation of charity requests, and lets philanthropists know where exactly their money was given and if the beneficiaries are eligible or not," he said.
 It also enables the IACAD to supervise charitable entities, facilitates licensing them, unifies their database, and provides them with recent technology and train them on it, he added.
 His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had issued a decree to streamline fundraising and charitable donation on April 20, 2015.
Pursuant to the Decree 9/2015, it is strictly banned to collect donations or advertise fundraising campaigns through all forms of media without prior written approval from the IACAD in Dubai.
More information on how to register a charity is available online at www.iacad.gov.ae 
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com
 

• UAE