Tickets: Here's how you book a visit
The UAE's Abrahamic Family House is now open to the public.
Entry to the multi-faith place of worship, which houses a mosque, synagogue and church, will be free of charge, but bookings must be made in advance.
The attraction's official website states that booking will be available online soon.
Last month, President Sheikh Mohamed said the establishment of the Abrahamic Family House, on Saadiyat Island, was in line with the nation's celebration of diversity and tolerance.
“The UAE has a proud history of people from diverse communities working together to create new possibilities,” wrote Sheikh Mohamed on Twitter.
“As the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi is inaugurated, we remain committed to harnessing the power of mutual respect, understanding and diversity to achieve shared progress.”
On Friday, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, said the religious gathering place “embodies the UAE's values of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence”.
Sheikh Saif and Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, officially inaugurated the new faith centre on February 17.
Spreading message of peace and prosperity
Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, spoke about the importance of sending out a message of harmony and hope to the world.
“We recognise that our contemporary world, even after centuries of civilisation, is plagued by seemingly intolerable societal problems. We are of the view that our world needs to hear our dialogue,” said Sheikh Nahyan at the first Abrahamic House Forum held at the venue on Friday.
“Our world needs to see our commitment to peace and prosperity. Our world needs to observe our respect for each other and our world needs to be aware of the impact of our own action in the face of misunderstanding, conflict, and discrimination as we celebrate together the unity of the Abrahamic family members.”
He said the UAE had always strived to serve as a catalyst for peace, tolerance and understanding and stability in the world.
“We recognise that the only strategy that will reduce and eventually eliminate conflict emerging from religious or cultural differences is direct action to find common ground among people of all nations,” said Sheikh Nahyan.
The UAE has sought to build alliances with nations across the world in line with this vision, including forging diplomatic ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords in September, 2020.
The two nations have strengthened partnerships in a variety of fields — from the economy and trade to security and tourism — in the years since.
The Emirates opened an embassy in Tel Aviv in July 2021, months after naming its first envoy to the country.
Last month, Dubai's Crossroads of Civilisations Museum put on display a Torah scroll that survived the Holocaust.
It was unveiled during an event to mark the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The names of the three houses of worship are Imam Al Tayeb Mosque, St Francis Church and Moses ben Maimon Synagogue.
The Abrahamic Family House's design, by Ghanaian-British architect Sir David Adjaye, captures the values shared between Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Visitors of all faiths are being invited to come together and take part in public worship services and education programmes.
“The Abrahamic Family House welcomes visitors and offers a range of experiences, from tours to immersive journeys of understanding,” the venue's website states.
“Visitors are invited to experience each of the three houses of worship and discover the key tenets of each Abrahamic faith.
“The Abrahamic Family House welcomes people to connect, explore, and reflect.
“We serve to deepen understanding of our common humanity through mutual dialogue, exchange of knowledge, and the practice of faith.”
A house where all are welcome
The place of worship was built in tribute to the Abrahamic religions, drawn from the prophet Abraham, revered in Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
The three pillars of the Abrahamic religions are honoured in the form of three striking structures — a mosque, a church and a synagogue — all leading to a central garden under which will sit a museum and centre for education.
The complex “recounts the history and builds bridges between human civilisations and heavenly messages”, Abu Dhabi's government said previously.
It is set to be a physical manifestation of the Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, during the pontiff's milestone visit to the UAE in 2019.
The project was first announced on February 5, 2019, by Sheikh Mohamed, who was Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi at the time.
Opening of Abrahamic Family House - in pictures
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
More coverage from the Future Forum
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Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
The specs
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Transmission: eight-speed automatic
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Price: Dh289,000
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
