A balanced state budget of 27.9 billion dirhams ($7.6bn) for the year 2006 was approved on Monday according to a recent statement by UAE Finance Minister Mohammed bin Kharbash.
Kharbash pointed out that the 2006 budget represented a 23% increase over the previous year, when the budget stood at year's 22.7bn dirhams ($6.18bn), according to <i>Gulf Daily News</i> quoting <i>WAM</i>.
36.6 percent of the budget was allocated to education while 16.8 percent went ot security and justice.
