Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque welcomes over 4.3 million guests in H1 2025

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Abu Dhabi witnessed a significant increase in visitor numbers during the first half of 2025, welcoming a total of 4,346,831 guests, marking a 5 percent growth compared to the same period in 2024, reaffirming the mosque’s position as a leading religious and cultural destination on the global stage.

The guest count included 1,948,482 worshippers and fasting guests, 2,355,165 visitors from various nationalities, and 43,184 users of the Mosque’s Jogging Track.

The mosque hosted 127,672 worshippers during Friday prayers, 346,671 during daily prayers, and 575,372 during the holy month of Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr.

Notably, the mosque recorded its highest number of worshippers on the 27th night of Ramadan (25 March 2025), with 72,710 worshippers, including 11,483 for Taraweeh prayers and 61,050 for Tahajjud prayers, in an atmosphere of serenity and spiritual reflection.

As part of the "Our Fasting Guests” initiative, the Centre collaborated with the Erth Zayed Philanthropies and its strategic partner Erth Hotel to distribute Iftar and Suhoor meals. The hotel prepared approximately 2.6 million meals, of which 898,767 were distributed at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, 442,345 at Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Grand Mosque in Al Ain, 1,160,000 in labour cities across Abu Dhabi, and 105,935 in various areas of the Emirate.

During the Eid Al-Adha holiday, the mosque welcomed 96,497 guests, including 41,385 worshippers-12,740 of whom performed Eid prayers-54,751 visitors, and 361 Jogging Track users. The number of vehicles that used the mosque’s parking facilities reached 988,411.

According to the Centre’s statistics, 82 percent of visitors came from outside the UAE, while 18 percent were UAE nationals and residents. This reflects the mosque’s growing prominence as a global cultural tourism landmark.

In terms of regional distribution, Asia accounted for 49 percent of visitors, followed by Europe with 35 percent, North America with 10 percent, Africa with 3 percent, South America with 2 percent, and Australia with 1 per cent. The top visiting countries were India (20 percent), China (9 percent), Russia (8 percent), USA (7 per cent), Germany (4 percent), followed by France, UK, Italy, Philippines, and Poland, each contributing 3 percent of the total visitors.

The Centre’s Cultural Tour Specialists conducted 2,363 cultural tours, introducing guests to the mosque’s message of peace, tolerance, and cross-cultural dialogue. The Centre also received 826 official delegation bookings, including 196 high-level delegations. These included visits from 6 Heads of State, 1 Vice President, 6 Prime Ministers, 4 Parliament Speakers, 1 Deputy Speaker, 3 Governors, 4 Sheikhs and Princes, 44 Ministers, 16 Deputy Ministers, 25 Ambassadors and Consuls, 52 Military Delegations, and 34 delegations from various official entities.

To enhance the visitor experience, the Centre provided over 70 electric vehicles to transport worshippers from parking areas to prayer halls, prioritising the elderly and People of Determination. Additionally, more than 3,515 comfortable seats were provided for their comfort and 50 wheelchairs were made available to facilitate movement within the mosque.

The Centre continued to enrich its offerings with innovative experiences, including public cultural tours, "Unseen Glimpses” tours via electric vehicles, Souq Al Jami’, the Jogging Track, and Night Cultural Tours (Sura Tour) available 24/7. The "Sura” experience was designed specifically for transit passengers and those with limited time during their stay in Abu Dhabi.

Furthermore, the Centre offers "El-Delleel”, a multimedia guide device that provides virtual cultural tours in 14 languages, including a sign language tour for the hearing impaired and child-friendly tours, ensuring an inclusive and enriching experience for all visitors.

WAM