Sheikh Dr Sultan announces tailor-made shifts to counter elder isolation, lifts retirement payouts, and orders 1,200 public-sector hires before year-end
SHARJAH, Sept. 8, 2026 : Sharjah has launched a government-backed part-time employment program designed to integrate 1,000 senior citizens back into public life, offering flexible hours, specialized transport, and dedicated compensation alongside sweeping wage and pension increases across the emirate.
The initiative, decreed by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, establishes low-strain roles across government departments aimed at protecting elderly citizens from social isolation and depression.
Under the framework, qualifying seniors will choose between two formats: an hourly track requiring one to two hours per day depending on physical capability, or a daily model running three non-consecutive days per week to ensure rest between shifts. The administration will provide dedicated vehicles and drivers to pick up employees from their residences and return them after work.
Sheikh Dr Sultan announced the directives during a live broadcast of the “Direct Line” program on Sharjah Broadcasting Authority. He stated the effort is deliberately separate from standard civil service mechanics and is not intended for retirees who can manage full-time corporate duties. Instead, it targets homebound elders who lack everyday routine and engagement.
“Even if he comes to work leaning on a cane, I want him to join us, so his spirit is lifted, so he feels the pleasure of contributing to the service of the nation and society, and so he earns a wage for his work,” Sheikh Dr Sultan said during the broadcast.
He cited entry-level cultural posts, such as welcoming visitors and checking admissions tickets inside climate-controlled foyers at Sharjah museums, as typical low-strain assignments. The program operates outside the standard financial calculations of the Sharjah Directorate of Human Resources under a stand-alone welfare payroll framework.
Alongside the senior work initiative, the Ruler ordered immediate financial upgrades across multiple cohorts of the public sector. Social support allocations will rise for 1,473 beneficiaries handled by social services authorities. Pension disbursements will increase for 1,470 retirees from Sharjah Government bodies, calibrated according to previous employment grade.
Salaries will rise for 3,270 government employees serving in senior civil grades. The wage adjustments apply to all centralized and decentralized municipal entities, including public universities across the emirate.
To close out Sharjah’s 2026 employment blueprint, Sheikh Dr Sultan directed recruitment bodies to accelerate hiring across the remainder of the calendar year. Government offices must fill 1,200 pending vacancies in the coming months, completing the administration’s stated target of 3,000 new public-sector appointments for 2026.
