Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque In Abu Dhabi Welcomes Over 6.5 Million Visitors In 2024 With Diverse Cultural Initiatives
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Abu Dhabi experienced a significant rise in visitors, welcoming 6,582,993 individuals over the past year. This represents a 20% increase from 2023. Among these visitors, 2,259,275 were worshippers and those fasting, while tourists accounted for 4,262,781 of the total. Additionally, 60,937 people utilised the mosque's jogging track.
During Ramadan and Eid prayers, the mosque saw an impressive turnout of 617,458 worshippers. The night of April 5 marked a historic attendance with 87,186 participants on the 27th night of Ramadan 1445H. This included 70,680 worshippers, setting a new record for the mosque. Friday prayers attracted 281,941 attendees, while daily prayers had 709,875 participants.
In terms of visitor demographics for 2024, international tourists made up 81% of the total visitors to the mosque. Residents of the UAE comprised the remaining 19%. Asian visitors led with a share of 52%, followed by Europe at 33%, North America at 8%, Africa and South America each at 3%, and Australia at 1%.
The Centre's cultural tour specialists conducted a total of 5,607 guided tours throughout the year. These tours attracted an audience of 75,752 global visitors. Additionally, there were bookings for 1,510 official delegations with a total attendance of 23,951 people who engaged in guided experiences highlighting the mosque’s cultural significance.
The mosque hosted visits from numerous high-level delegations including eight heads of state and various other dignitaries. These visits included three state governors and four sheikhs or princes among others. A total of five interfaith delegations also visited alongside military and institutional groups.
The Centre introduced several initiatives to enhance visitor experiences. The ‘Unseen Glimpses’ tour offers exclusive insights into hidden architectural details via club cars. Meanwhile, ‘Sura’ evening cultural tours are available from late night until early morning hours for transit passengers seeking serene nighttime experiences.
Interactive Experiences and Publications
Visitors can explore ‘El-Delleel’, an eGuide available in multiple languages offering virtual tours for self-guided exploration. The ‘Souq Al Jami’ provides diverse shopping options with over fifty retail units including restaurants and boutiques designed to cater to all ages.
The Centre released new publications such as "Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: A Lights of Peace," showcasing award-winning photographs capturing its architectural beauty. Other publications include catalogues documenting Islamic heritage like "Light & Peace Museum Catalogue" and "Al-Andalus: History and Civilization Exhibition Catalogue."
Museum Launch and Educational Series
His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan inaugurated the 'Light & Peace Museum' featuring interactive exhibits that incorporate advanced multimedia technologies within five sections focusing on themes such as tolerance and universal coexistence.
The Centre launched educational series like ‘Kursi AlJami’ exploring societal topics through short films inspired by Islamic values while another series titled ‘Wamda Fiqhiyyah’ focused on religious topics relevant to society delivered by members from UAE Council for Fatwa.
Calendar Project Enhancements
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre continued its efforts in enhancing its Hijri Calendar Project ensuring accuracy based on scientific principles while enriching content through wall-mounted calendars along with newly introduced desk editions accessible across all UAE cities via interactive smart applications.
Through these diverse initiatives spanning cultural tours to educational series coupled with enhanced visitor experiences offered by Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre it has secured top global rankings among premier cultural landmarks worldwide according Trip Advisor’s recognition as Middle East’s leading attraction.
With inputs from WAM
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