The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi welcomed more guests and worshippers in the first half of 2024, recording 4.37 million visitors.
This number is a 31-percent increase from the same period last year, which includes 1,765,698 worshippers and fasting individuals, 2,584,425 visitors, and 29,135 individuals who used the mosque’s jogging track.
Among the visitors, 81 percent came outside the UAE while 19 percent were residents.
Topping the list were visitors from Asia at 52 percent, followed by Europe at 34 percent, North America at 7 percent, Africa and South America at 3 percent each, and Australia at 1 percent.
Meanwhile, India led the country with the highest number of visitors at 22 percent, followed by China at 11 percent. Visitors from the Philippines accounted for 2 percent.
The Grand Mosque also saw a record-breaking number of guests during the 27th of Ramadan, on April 15, with 87,186 attendees, “the highest number of worshippers in its history,” WAM reported.
During the first six months of the year, the mosque also hosted 170 high-level delegates.
In June, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos visited the iconic mosque during her working visit to the UAE.
Related story: PH First Lady visits Abu Dhabi’s iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The increase in visitors was attributed to various projects of the Centre, such as the night cultural tours and the “El-Delleel” service which offers virtual cultural tours in 14 languages.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in the UAE and one of Abu Dhabi’s prominent and holy cultural landmarks.
