The UAE’s Dar Al Ber Society has paid for 16 people of various ages in three African countries to perform the Hajj, or holy pilgrimage, this year.

The project, worth AED262,016, benefited underprivileged pilgrims from Benin, Togo, and Uganda, according to Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Executive Director of Dar Al Ber.

"The scheme is in line with Dar Al Ber's commitment to the poor worldwide and reflects the UAE’s authentic identity, as well as the society’s humanitarian mission, its tireless work to promote the noble values of Islam, and its tolerance and moderation," said Al Falasi.

The move follows the directives of the prudent leadership and the policy of the country to ease the suffering of the vulnerable, wherever they are, and bring them happiness, he added.

"The pilgrims who were helped to perform Hajj by Dar Al Ber this year, included 10 individuals from Togo, five from Benin and one from Uganda," Al Falasi concluded.