Palestine’s Sheikh Khalifa mosque opens

The six-floor mosque is one of many projects in Palestine funded by the UAE.

The Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mosque, seen here while under construction this summer, opened on Sunday. Wam
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JERUSALEM // The Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Mosque, the second-biggest mosque in Palestine, opened its doors on Sunday.

At 6,000 square metres, in the city the mosque is second in size only to the Al Aqsa Mosque.

The building, in the Izzariya area of Jerusalem, has been funded by the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation charity. Ahmed Juma Al Za’abi, Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs and deputy chairman of the foundation, officially opened the mosque.

It is hoped that up to 100,000 people will use it.

The six-floor mosque is one of many projects in Palestine funded by the UAE, the state news agency Wam reported. The support, said Adnan Al Husseini, the minister of Jerusalem affairs for the state of Palestine, has been remarkable.

“The holy city of Jerusalem has been and is still receiving unprecedented care from the UAE, since the era of the late founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and then his successor, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa.

“The UAE is implementing many developmental, humanitarian and charitable projects in the holy city in support of its people.”

The first floor of the mosque has been designated as a worship area for males and can hold up to 4,000 people.

The next level is for females and can accommodate up to 2,000 worshippers. The mosque will eventually feature a Quran memorisation centre, library and health centre.

Projects funded by the UAE in Palestine include the distribution of school uniforms to underprivileged children to a recent Dh150 million donation to help rebuild houses in Gaza destroyed by Israeli attacks.

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