Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque attracts 4.3 million visits in first half of 2024

The holy site welcomed a record number of worshippers on the 27th day of Ramadan

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque received more than 4.3 million visits in the first half of the year. Ryan Carter / UAE Presidential Court

Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque welcomed more than 4.3 million visits in the first half of the year, including its largest number of daily worshippers during Ramadan.

The place of worship has cemented its status as a leading global religious and cultural centre in recent years – with the latest six-monthly total well up on the 3.3 million visits recorded from January to the end of June last year and the 1.5 million registered in 2022.

This year's 4,379,258 visitors comprised of 2,584,425 residents and tourists and 1,765,698 worshippers.

A further 29,135 people used the jogging track on the grounds of the mosque during the period.

The mosque received a record 87,186 worshippers on April 5, which marked the 27th day of Ramadan.

Of this number, 70,680 Muslims gathered during the evening to observe Laylat Al Qadr, a significant occasion in the Islamic faith.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque is a striking focal point for celebrations during the holy month, opening its doors to thousands of worshippers to enjoy iftar.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre – which operates the mosque – prepared 2.15 million iftar meals this year, with 650,000 of these served up within the mosque.

Another 1.5 million meals were distributed across the capital to honour the generous spirit of the religious festival.

Global appeal

More than 60,000 worshippers attend Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi to mark Laylat Al Qadr. All photos: Wam

This is the largest number of worshippers hosted by the grand mosque since its opening, said news agency Wam

Laylat Al Qadr — or the Night of Power — has a special significance in Islam. It is one of the odd-numbered nights during the last 10 days of Ramadan in which the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Mohammed

Many Muslims are keen to spend the last 10 nights of the holy month in worship, prayer and acts of kindness

The reward for any good deed or act of worship conducted on that night is counted as more than 1,000 months of doing it

The mosque continues to draw visitors from all parts of the world

Official figures show 81 per cent of visits made were by people from outside the Emirates.

Asia led the way with 52 per cent of all visits, followed by Europe at 34 per cent, North America at 7 per cent, Africa and South America at 3 per cent each, and Australia at 1 per cent.

India had the largest number of visits at 22 per cent, followed by China at 11 per cent, Russia at 8 per cent and Germany and the USA at 4 per cent.

The mosque is a hugely popular attraction, ranking high on the travel itineraries of international visitors.

The place of worship was ranked first in the Top Attractions category in the Middle East by TripAdvisor.

Completed in 2007, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the largest in the UAE, spreading across 22,000 square metres.

It can host more than 40,000 worshippers at once.

it commemorates the legacy of the man whose name it bears, the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

In December, the mosque launched night tours aimed at travellers in transit who have limited time in the capital but wish to visit the landmark.