During Ramadan and the Eid Al Fitr prayer, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre welcomed a total of 3,226,103 guests at the mosques under its management across the UAE. These include Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Sheikh Khalifa Grand Mosque in Al Ain Region, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Fujairah, and Sheikh Khalifa Grand Mosque in Ras Al Khaimah.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi welcomed 1,695,698 guests, including 510,046 worshippers, 205,642 visitors, 4,862 walkway users, and 980,010 Iftar guests, the highest number of Iftar meals in the mosque’s history. In Al Ain Region, Sheikh Khalifa Grand Mosque received 960,011 guests, including 409,155 worshippers, 550,240 Iftar guests, and 616 walkway users. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Fujairah welcomed 507,222 guests, including 231,020 worshippers, 265,560 Iftar guests, 10,642 visitors, among them 8,670 walkway users. In Ras Al Khaimah, Sheikh Khalifa Grand Mosque received 63,172 worshippers. A distinguished group of imams from Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi led the Taraweeh and Tahajjud prayers throughout the holy month. The prayers were led by Idris Abkar, Yahya Aishan, Alaa Al-Mazjaji, Abdullah Al-Balushi, and Abdulbasit Abdulsamad, whose contributions also extended to the mosques affiliated with the centre, helping create spiritually uplifting atmospheres marked by serenity and devotion.
As part of the Our Fasting Guests initiative, which the centre implements annually in memory of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, under the umbrella of the Erth Zayed Philanthropies, and through the Zayed for Good Foundation, in cooperation with strategic partner Erth Abu Dhabi, the centre distributed a total of 2,605,810 Iftar meals during the holy month.
These meals included 980,010 meals distributed at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the highest number in its history of meal distribution, 550,240 at Sheikh Khalifa Grand Mosque in Al Ain Region, and 265,560 at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Fujairah.
To serve the guests of the centre’s mosques according to the highest standards and to meet the needs of the growing and diverse number of worshippers, the centre formed volunteer teams comprising its employees to provide the best services to worshippers.
They were supported by volunteers from the Emirates Red Crescent, the Abshir Ya Watan volunteer team, the Ma’an volunteer team, police officers, paramedics, civil defence personnel, as well as staff from Mawaqif and Saaed for Traffic Systems. The total number of volunteers exceeded 600 volunteers.
In parallel, the centre strengthened its operational efforts by coordinating with more than 20 government entities and institutions throughout the holy month, including strategic partners who continue to support the success of the Ramadan project annually.
Alongside its religious role, the centre continued to advance its cultural mission through a range of initiatives. It launched the Afnan social media account, providing religious and cultural content including recitations by the mosque’s imams, as well as cultural and religious series produced by the centre.
The centre also published special Ramadan episodes of Sada Al-Jami’ and Wamda Fiqhiyyah, in addition to two Ramadan episodes of Kursi Al-Jami’.
The centre had the honour of hosting three Ramadan lectures of the Mohamed bin Zayed Majlis in the Majlis venue at the mosque. In addition, it organised 18 lectures delivered by the distinguished scholars, Guests of the UAE President, in cooperation with the General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat.
The centre also launched the second season of the Dhay Photography Competition under the theme Ramadan at the mosque, and continued organising the sixth season of the Bridges programme with the participation of 164 participants, including representatives from the embassies of Slovenia, Australia, the US, and Canada, students from New York University Abu Dhabi, students from the Future Guide Program, and several employees of the centre. Participants came together through volunteer activities and Iftar gatherings under the umbrella of the noble values of Islam.
On the occasion of Zayed Humanitarian Day (19 Ramadan), the centre also distributed the audio Qur’an recited by the mosque’s imams Idris Abkar and Yahya Aishan.
Visitors were also able to enjoy the Ramadan atmosphere at the Dome of Peace and the Souq Al Jami’, which features a variety of shops and restaurants, in addition to outdoor kiosks near the Souq Dome and the Ramadan market Masabeeh, which included 18 kiosks located in the mosque’s external courtyards on both the northern and southern sides.
The centre continued offering its cultural tours, through which it highlights the bright image of Islamic culture and the values of UAE society and its civilisational message. During Ramadan, the mosque hosted 87 cultural tours attended by 1,444 visitors.
Tour bookings by tourism companies reached 3,491 reservations, including 72,205 visitors, while official delegation bookings reached 27 reservations, including 652 visitors, all of whom were provided with a unique experience within the mosque.
The centre mobilised all its resources to highlight the Ramadan project at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It produced more than 130 media materials, while more than 560 local, regional, and international media outlets covered the centre’s activities during Ramadan.
The mosque was also featured across media outlets and social media platforms through more than 1,900 news reports, visual features, and social media posts.
Throughout the month, the centre kept the community informed of updates related to its programmes, services, and initiatives, including the schedules of imams and daily supplications.
