For those looking for a mosque in the UAE, you can be assured there is always one nearby.
With more than 9,000 mosques around the country, these houses of worship come in different shapes and sizes, but cater to all.
In addition to the daily prayer services, a few have expansive cultural programmes, including lectures and tours.
Here at the top 20 mosques to visit across the seven emirates.
Abu Dhabi
1. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Built over a 12-year period and opened in 2007, this is not only a grand house of worship, but a global cultural attraction.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque can accommodate up to 40,000 people.
Free guided tours are available on all days, although times may vary.
More information is at www.szgmc.gov.ae
2. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan Mosque
Located in Hameem Street in Al Nahyan, this house of worship is located within a residential neighbourhood.
Inspired by Moroccan architecture, it has a tiled outdoor space and the front entrance features arches and lanterns.
3. Al Aziz Mosque
This is the neighbourhood mosque on Reem Island.
It has a contemporary design and spread across three levels - it also has a women's prayer hall.
4. Mary, Mother of Jesus Mosque
The mosque exemplifies the UAE's status as a country of religious tolerance.
Located in Al Mushrif, it shares the same car park with adjoining Anglican church of St Andrew’s, the Roman Catholic Church of St Joseph and the Coptic Church of St Antonio’s.
5. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mosque
Opened in 2021 and with a capacity of more than 20,000, this is the largest mosque in Al Ain.
Inspired by the Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq, it has four minarets and a grand dome adorned with verses from the Quran.
Dubai
6. Jumeirah Mosque
A landmark of the emirate, this beautiful mosque is located near Jumeirah Beach with an exterior built from pink sandstone and multicoloured marble.
It is open to the public with daily tours provided by the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding.
More information is at cultures.ae
7. Bur Dubai Grand Mosque
Formerly a Quran school that dates back to 1900, the structure was demolished and reconstructed in 1960 as a mosque. It is located near the Dubai Museum and the textile districts of Bur Dubai.
Home to 1,200 worshippers, it also has the highest minaret in Dubai, measuring 70 metres.
8. Al Rahim Mosque
A landmark of Dubai Marina, the mosque opened in 2013. It is regularly visited by residents, and features spacious prayer halls for men and women.
9. Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque
A fully operational house of worship and cultural attraction, the site also hosts activities and lectures.
Tours are conducted from Sundays to Thursdays and can be booked online.
More information is at www.alfarooqcentre.com
10. DIFC Grand Mosque
A spiritual gathering place for those in the Dubai International Financial Centre, the modern house of worship is located in Gate Village.
Accommodating 500 worshippers, the mosque also has a dedicated women's prayer hall.
Sharjah
11. Al Noor Mosque
A Sharjah landmark, the mosque has a commanding place on the emirate's Corniche and is inspired by the Blue Mosque in Turkey.
Free tours, which focus on Islamic and Emirati history, are available on Monday and Thursdays from 10am without prior booking.
12. Sharjah Mosque
Opened in 2019 and inspired by Ottoman architecture, the mosque is one of the UAE's biggest and can hold up to 25,000 people.
As well as the daily prayers, the mosque has a library of Islamic texts, a souvenir shop and a walking track stretching around the 185,806 square metres complex.
13. King Faisal Mosque
Named after the former King of Saudi Arabia and located in Al Soor, the King Faisal Mosque is one of the emirate's largest with a capacity for more than 16,000 worshippers.
14. Al Sakina Mosque
Featuring contemporary Islamic architectural motifs, the eye-catching Al Sakina Mosque is at the heart of the Al Rahmaniyah 4 neighbourhood and can host 900 worshippers.
Ajman
15. Sheikh Zayed Mosque
Located on the suburban outskirts, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque is an Ajman landmark with its sprawling courtyard and prayer hall that can fit 2,500 people.
During Ramadan, the mosque is known to host some of the Muslim world's best Quran prayer reciters.
Ras Al Khaimah
16. Sheikh Zayed Mosque
Recently restored by the emirate's Department of Antiquities and Museums, the site has up to 60 columns and a roof covered with palm fronds and windows with Islamic geometric carvings.
The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is viewed as the spiritual hub of Ras Al Khaimah and can accommodate 1,000 worshippers.
17. Mohammed Bin Salem Mosque
Dating back to the 18th century and located in the Old Ras Al Khaimah district, the mosque has undergone several renovations and extensions.
Built from coral stone and beach rock, it's one of many historical landmarks in the emirate.
Umm Al Quwain
18. Saad bin Ubadah Mosque
The unassuming mosque has been part of the emirate’s old town for about half a century.
During Ramadan, more than 100 people gather in the courtyard for communal iftars, followed by evening prayers.
Fujairah
19. Al Bidya Mosque
Dating back to 1446, Al Bidya Mosque is thought to be the oldest in the UAE.
Made from local stone and mudbrick, it is located on a hillside about 30 kilometres north of Fujairah City.
As well as conducting daily prayers, the mosque is also a tourist attraction.
20. Sheikh Zayed Mosque
Second in size to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, this spectacular site was opened in 2015 and located on Mohammed bin Matar Road in Fujairah City.
With a slight resemblance to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, it can hold up to 28,000 people and has a courtyard with fountains and gardens.
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Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
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Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
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Women's:
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Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Result
Arsenal 4
Monreal (51'), Ramsey (82'), Lacazette 85', 89')
West Ham United 1
Arnautovic (64')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar
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Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
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Manchester United 2
Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
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Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
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Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
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- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Disability on screen
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Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
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Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
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One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
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Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
