Mohammed Abdul Latif Al Mahmoud and Abdullah Saeed Al Marri
Doha, Qatar: The Zakat Affairs Department at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs provided financial assistance worth more than QR86.18m during the first half of 2026, supporting eligible families and individuals in Qatar as part of its efforts to strengthen social solidarity and ensure zakat funds reach their rightful beneficiaries.
The department said a total of QR86,181,171 in assistance was disbursed during the first six months of the year. The assistance included regular support for poor and needy families, lump-sum payments, aid for debtors, and medical assistance, in accordance with the Shariah-approved categories of zakat.
Director of the Zakat Affairs Department Mohammed Abdul Latif Al Mahmoud, stressed that the department exercises the highest levels of scrutiny and verification to ensure zakat funds are delivered to genuine beneficiaries.
He said the department’s work is guided by a major religious responsibility to safeguard zakat funds and carefully assess applications, thereby ensuring that the obligations of zakat payers are fulfilled and strengthening their confidence in the zakat system.
Al Mahmoud explained that applications are assessed through an integrated verification process involving document reviews, desk research, field visits and detailed assessments of applicants’ social and financial circumstances.
He noted that these procedures are designed to ensure that zakat reaches eligible beneficiaries in line with approved Shariah regulations. He also stressed that no administrative deductions are made from zakat funds, reflecting the department’s commitment to transparency, integrity and accountability.
Head of the Zakat Disbursement Section Abdullah Saeed Al Marri said the department focused during the first half of the year on directing zakat funds to their appropriate Shariah-approved categories while responding to the needs of eligible groups.
The department disbursed QR20,426,800 in regular assistance to poor and needy families. The monthly payments are intended to help eligible families meet essential needs and improve their living stability.
It also provided QR33,065,532 in lump-sum assistance, while aid for debtors, or gharimeen, amounted to QR2,728,283. Medical assistance accounted for QR25,692,156, supporting eligible patients in need of treatment.
The department also provided assistance to 1,769 patients from Gaza residing in Qatar, with total support amounting to QR4,268,400. The initiative reflects the department’s efforts to use zakat funds to support people affected by hardship and alleviate the suffering of eligible beneficiaries.
Al Marri highlighted the department’s efforts to make zakat payments convenient by offering multiple channels through which individuals and companies can fulfill their zakat obligations.
These include the Zakat Affairs Department’s smartphone application and website, as well as ATMs operated by Qatar Islamic Bank and AlRayan Bank. Zakat payments can also be made through the Fast Collection service at 55199990 and 55199996, in addition to field collectors and collection points located across Qatar.
The department also provides specialised online calculators to help users calculate zakat on money, gold, shares, companies and dates. Its specialists additionally offer Shariah consultations and fatwas concerning zakat rules, helping zakat payers determine their obligations accurately.
Al Mahmoud called on individuals with financial means, businesspeople and companies to pay their zakat through the Zakat Affairs Department, emphasising the wider social impact of the religious obligation.
