Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque breaks attendance records

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi welcomed more than 4.3 million visitors in the first half of 2024, including a record 87,186 worshippers on the 27th day of Ramadan.

In recent years, the famous mosque has consolidated its status as the world’s leading religious and cultural centre. It is worth noting that in the first six months of last year, 3.3 million guests visited the mosque, and in 2022 the number of visits totalled 1.5 million.

According to official data, 81 per cent of visits are foreign tourists or believers. Among them, Asian countries lead with 52 per cent of all visits, followed by Europe with 34 per cent, North America with 7 per cent, Africa and South America with 3 per cent each, and Australia with 1 per cent.

The largest number of visitors are from India at 22 per cent, followed by China at 11 per cent, Russia at 8 per cent, Germany and the US at 4 per cent each.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a very popular attraction, ranking among the top destinations for international travellers. According to TripAdvisor, the iconic mosque has been ranked number one in the ‘Best Attractions in the Middle East’ category.

Completed in 2007, the mosque is the largest in the UAE, covering an area of 22,000 square metres. It can accommodate more than 40 thousand worshippers at a time.

In December, the mosque launched night tours designed for transit travellers who are in the capital for a limited time but definitely want to visit the attraction.

Source: The National