Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi has achieved a new global accomplishment, obtaining advanced positions on the list of the most prominent landmarks in the world, according to a report issued by the global platform “Trip Advisor” for the year 2025, which specializes in travel and tourism affairs.
In the “Top Attractions” category, the mosque ranked eighth globally, two places ahead of its ranking in 2024. This ranking is based on a comprehensive analysis of more than eight million landmarks around the world. The mosque came in the top 1% of these landmarks, and maintained first place in the Middle East in this category, reflecting the prestigious position that the mosque enjoys at the regional and international levels It emphasizes its pioneering role in promoting religious and cultural tourism in the UAE.
In another achievement, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Fujairah, one of the edifices affiliated with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, was among the top 10% of landmarks around the world, according to the choices of travelers from all over the world, which is a remarkable achievement given the recent activation of the visit service in the mosque.
These achievements achieved by the two universities confirm their leadership as cultural destinations on the map of global religious and cultural tourism, as the two universities have become a global destination, visited by visitors from various cultures of the world.
His Excellency Dr. Yousef Al Obaidli, Director General of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, said on this occasion that the global achievement achieved by the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi embodies the sound vision of the wise leadership, and is the fruit of the center’s strategic plan that aims to develop services and provide qualitative experiences for its guests, and crowns the distinguished initiatives and services it provides throughout the year.
He added that these efforts included developing the infrastructure and culture, raising the efficiency of facilities, in addition to the excellence of specialized cadres, and empowering young people from the country by qualifying them to provide cultural tours and serve the mosque’s guests from all over the world, within qualitative programs that reflect the mosque’s civilizational message
He pointed out that these achievements open new horizons for the center, through which we can anticipate the future with plans and strategies that enable it to continue performing its civilizational role with greater efficiency, and provide services that continuously enhance the experiences of its guests, through religious and cultural programs, exhibitions and initiatives that embody the mosque’s message, and are presented in renewed formats and in a civilized style that keeps pace with aspirations and achieves visions.
The advanced positions achieved by the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi reflect its global leadership as a model unique from other places of worship, cultural and tourist attractions, and a standard reference in the region and the world; as it goes beyond its religious role of embracing rituals and prayers, to its civilizational and cultural role in spreading and enhancing the message of the United Arab Emirates represented in coexistence, peace and harmony with the various cultures of the world, in addition to reviving the vocabulary of Islamic civilization as a unique architectural model of Islamic architecture Establishing its position as a unique global cultural tourism destination, it is visited annually by approximately 7 million guests, visitors and worshipers from various cultures of the world, who meet in its spaciousness with their different cultures and religions, united by common human commonalities, and the language of civilizational dialogue forms bridges through which they overcome all forms of difference.
The center contributed to enhancing the mosque’s presence as a global center for cultural dialogue, through the various facilities included in the Dome of Peace, the new cultural destination in the capital, Abu Dhabi, which includes the “Light and Peace” Museum, the first museum of its kind, which was designed to combine a distinctive atmosphere with innovative display methods for a selected collection of artifacts, artifacts and exhibits of historical, artistic, scientific and literary value, from the belt of the Holy Kaaba to the dinar of Caliph Abdul Malik bin Marwan From the Blue Qur’an to the Andalusian astrolabe, each piece tells a story.
Through its five sections, the museum offers inspiring narrative experiences that enrich the visit of mosque-goers. Under one roof, the museum invites visitors to experience the atmosphere of the three holiest mosques in Islam: the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Through interactive displays and immersive technologies, visitors feel as if they are in the presence of these great places, hearing their ears, touching their sanctity, and living their moments.
With its diverse cultural content, the museum targets different cultures and groups, including researchers, specialists, and those interested in cultural, heritage, science, and arts affairs. It presents its messages through diverse interactive and sensory experiences, including children, to whom it has dedicated a group of attractive experiences that bring the museum’s cultural message closer to their minds in the section dedicated to the family.
The dome includes the “Diaa Interactive” experience, which is a “360” technology experience that employs sound and light to give the visitor the opportunity to have an immersive and inspiring sensory experience that begins with the space enlightened by the stars of the sky, to the land of the United Arab Emirates, and its authentic heritage.
The Dome of Peace also includes the mosque’s specialized library, the cultural theater, and permanent and temporary exhibitions that shed light on ancient human civilizations, in addition to the “Jami’ Market” with its shops, entertainment areas, and restaurants that meet the needs of different age groups, and the mosque’s sports walkway, which provides members of society from different groups and cultures with the opportunity to practice sports and listen to the services it provides, on the mosque’s beautiful external scene.
The center operates according to a well-thought-out strategic plan and an integrated system implemented by specialized cadres with high skills in various fields, who work efficiently to provide cultural experiences for guests of its affiliated edifices from various cultures around the world. Cultural tours are among the most prominent of these experiences, as they are presented by an elite group of cultural tour specialists from the nation, to represent the civilized face of the state and spread its message calling for peace and harmony.
The mosque has become a major stop for VIPs visiting the country, with visitors from outside the country constituting 82% of the total guests. During the first half of this year, the center continued to provide a range of innovative experiences and services that contributed to increasing the number of guests, most notably general cultural tours, “hidden glimpses of the mosque” tours, and “secret” night cultural tours that allow visitors to visit the mosque 24 hours a day.
The center has dedicated the “Surra” experience primarily to visitors to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE who have limited time during their international (transit) flights, or who are unable to visit the mosque during official visiting hours. The center also offers the “Guide” service, a multimedia device that allows virtual cultural tours in 14 international languages, in addition to a sign language tour designed for deaf people with disabilities, and tours dedicated to children.
