Affordable Housing for Emiratis in the United Arab Emirates: The Case Study of Ras Al Khaimah

Adequate and affordable housing is a basic human need, and in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a federation composed of seven emirates, housing is treated as a constitutional right of every Emirati national. Using interviews with municipal and housing officials and a survey of the housing beneficiaries, the study evaluates the efficacy of the two national housing programs in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah that provide subsidies for affordable homeownership—the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program and the President’s Initiative. The study found that the UAE is shifting back to a provider approach to housing for its citizens. The program beneficiaries seemed satisfied with the design of their homes but raised concerns about their locations. The locations and growth spurred by the two programs have significantly shaped the current sprawling urban form of the Ras Al Khaimah municipality. The question of the long-term sustainability of the two programs looms large, funded as they are entirely by the government, with limited participation from the private, nonprofit, or informal sectors. To make housing programs financially and environmentally sustainable, every stakeholder must play a role: the federal government, the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, the Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, and the individual program beneficiaries.