His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, issued an Emiri Decree this week approving the general organisational structure of the Sharjah Social Services Department. The decision follows a recommendation from the Sharjah Executive Council, which reviewed the proposed framework during its meeting on September 8 and directed its General Secretariat to submit the document for ratification. A report published by Sharjah 24 indicated that the approval forms part of directives aimed at enabling government entities to operate with higher efficiency and institutional sustainability. The decree also empowers the Executive Council to issue implementing decisions on detailed structures and job roles.
The revised structure is intended to enhance the department’s capacity to provide social support, assistance to families and protection for vulnerable groups, according to the Executive Council statement. It builds upon the SSSD’s established competencies in social care, community cohesion and development of social work practices across the emirate. The move aligns with the Ruler’s long-term approach to refining administrative systems in line with best practices.
Established by Emiri Decree in 1995 following its initial formation in 1984, the Sharjah Social Services Department functions as a core government body dedicated to humanitarian and social initiatives, its official website records. Law No. 5 of 2023, issued by the Ruler, organised the department as an independent legal entity with responsibilities ranging from policy formulation to supervision of care homes and implementation of family-related judicial rulings, according to coverage in Gulf News. The department additionally organises the broader social sector, including activities by non-profit entities, in coordination with relevant authorities.
A 2023 annual report reviewed by the Sharjah Executive Council placed the value of social assistance distributed that year at AED434 million for 10,931 citizen beneficiaries, the council’s published summary showed. The same report documented 4,582 retirees receiving a complementary grant worth AED239.5 million as well as 6,144 individuals benefiting from elderly and disability services. In addition, the department managed 325 shelter residents and handled thousands of care reports while delivering more than 5,000 social education programs to nearly 143,000 participants.
Maryam Majid Saeed Al Shamsi assumed the role of Chairperson of the SSSD in July 2025 under an Emiri Decree that also granted her membership on the Sharjah Executive Council, a WAM dispatch from the period stated. The appointment followed her service as department director and supports closer integration of social welfare priorities within executive planning. Later directives raised monthly social assistance to AED17,500 for eligible recipients, benefiting more than 4,200 families at an annual cost exceeding AED400 million, a January 2026 Zawya report noted.
The department’s stated vision focuses on a society featuring prosperity, security, family stability and social inclusion through preventive, curative and developmental services, according to its published documentation. Competencies include conducting social studies, proposing legislation and regulating professional licenses in the social field through field inspections. The newly formalised structure is expected to support these functions amid continued growth in demand for welfare programs throughout Sharjah.
