ABU DHABI — The total expenditure of the United Arab Emirates’ federal government amounted to 24.99 billion dirhams ($6.8 billion) by the end of the second quarter of the current financial year 2020, according to the budget report, released by the Ministry of Finance on Monday. The report puts the total revenues at 34.74 billion dirhams, which results in a total surplus of around 9.75 billion dirhams by the end of Q-2. According to the figures, the budget posted a surplus of 1.8 billion dirhams by the end of the first quarter and 7.95 billion dirhams in Q2. For the 2020 fiscal year, the UAE Cabinet had approved a zero-deficit federal budget of 61.354 billion dirhams for 2020. This is the largest budget since the establishment of the UAE. The estimated budget allocation to social development and social benefits programs amount to 26.7 billion dirhams or 38 percent of the total budget. Allocations to the public, higher education, and university programs have been to the tune of 10.4 billion dirhams, or 14.8 percent of the total. The estimated cost of public education programs amounts to 6.7 billion dirhams, or 9.5 percent of the total budget while higher and university education is expected to cost 3.7 billion dirhams or 5.3 percent. About 4.9 billion dirhams, or 6.9 percent of the total, have been allocated to healthcare and disease prevention. Allocations to the social rights programs of the Ministry of Community Development amount to 3.5 billion dirhams, or five percent of the total while 1.8 billion dirhams have been allocated to the Sheikh Zayed Housing Program, or 2.5 percent of the total, to provide support for housing for Emiratis. — Agencies