Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has inaugurated the expansion of the Al Falah housing project in the emirate. Spanning 215 hectares, the new development provides 899 new homes for citizens at a cost of more than Dh1.92 billion. It also includes five mosques and five public parks, as well as allocated plots of land for commercial and community facilities. Each villa has five bedrooms, two Majlis (one for men and one for women), dining and living rooms, and other facilities. The design of each villa reflects Emirati national identity, culture and heritage. During the inauguration, Sheikh Khaled was briefed on the infrastructure, building specifications and architectural design features of the project and also reviewed the interior and exterior finishes of the villas. The expansion of Al Falah is the third phase following the project’s first and second phases which have provided citizens with 4,857 homes since 2012. In March this year, the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2023/03/26/sheikh-zayed-housing-programme-approves-dh299m-in-aid-for-emiratis/" target="_blank">Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme</a> approved Dh298.7 million in housing aid to support Emiratis. The funding includes applications for house construction, completion, purchase, maintenance and upgrades and is part of President Sheikh Mohamed's <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2022/06/05/president-sheikh-mohamed-orders-dh23bn-housing-loans-for-emiratis-to-be-delivered/">decision in June last year</a> that all pending applications received by the programme be completed, at a cost of Dh2.3 billion. It was announced at the time that all pending applications for funding assistance would be processed over the next five years. The programme was established in 1999 and provides interest-free loans repayable over a 25-year period to citizens with low incomes. Those who most need support are given grants and non-reimbursable assistance. The Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme gives priority to orphans, widows, the elderly and people of determination.