Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Dress Code, & Timings & Facts

As one of the most beautiful mosques in the world, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque needs no introduction. It’s the biggest and most visited mosque in the UAE. Especially on Friday and on Eid days this place turns into a very crowded place because Muslims all around the UAE come here to offer Jumah (Friday & Eid Prayers) and this is the reason the mosque does not accept tourists during the morning hours on Friday (till 4:00 PM). The mosque is located on Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street – between Musaffah Bridge and Maqta Bridge – New Abu Dhabi. The interior design of the grand mosque in Abu Dhabi is spectacular and eye-catching. It’s hard to believe that this mosque has swimming pools, a large garden, and seven enormous chandeliers. The mosque was constructed from 1996 to 2007 and the architecture was done by Yusef Abdelki.

The good thing is non-Muslims can go anywhere inside of the mosque. At night White marble, golden and blue lights give impressions of a palace. There is NO ENTRY fee, and FREE parking is also available. 

Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi Dress Code

You must follow the specific dress code to enter. There is a prohibition against women entering the mosque without wearing an Abaya (the mosque will give you a free one for the purpose of your visit). Both genders must cover shoulders and knees. You will have to take off your shoes at the entry gate. Men and women cannot walk very close nor touch each other. If you do guards will politely warn you.

Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi Timing

Sheikh Zayed mosque visiting hours are from 9 am to 10 pm (last entry at 9:30 pm) – Saturday to Thursday and 4:30 pm to 10 pm on Friday. Even though it’s a huge mosque and accommodates up to 41,000 people at the same time, I suggest you go in the morning time as at that time you wouldn’t notice many tourists there. However, If you want to get the best view of it, go in the evening, preferably at sunset time. Guided tours are organized by the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA).

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Facts & Cost

• The mosque work started by late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1996. He is buried in the garden of the mosque.
• It’s among world largest mosque with the length of 420 m (1,380 ft), and height 115 m.
• In Ramadan, the mosque host the biggest iftar party of the UAE for FREE. According to officials, 25,000 – 30,000 persons come here for Iftar on the daily base, and they get the meal for FREE.
• The development of the Sheikh Zayed mosque cost AED 2.5 billion ($700 Million). The construction of the mosque took almost12 years. More than 3000 workers and 38 contracting from all around the world participated in the development of the Sheik Zayed Mosque. Construction materials outsourced from Pakistan, Morocco, Iran, Germany and a few more countries.
• Up to 41,000 worshippers can pray at the same time in a mosque, and the main hall can host 7000+ worshippers.
• Sheikh Zayed mosque carpet is the largest hand-knotted carpet in the world, and it took two years in the completion and transportation (2-months) of the carpet from Iran. It has been hand-knotted by about 1,300 Iranian craftsmen, and its estimated value is about 30 million.
• The mosque is held by 96 primary powerful pillars and more than 1000  supporting column.

How to get there?

There are a number of tour companies in Dubai that offer Abu Dhabi city tours from Dubai, and to take advantage of the best prices, it is recommended that you book as early as possible so that you can take advantage of the lowest prices available.

If you don’t have much money and are comfortable with sharing-based transportation, you can take a bus from Dubai to Abu Dhabi central bus station and from there take taxi to the mosque. The mosque is situated between Musaffah Bridge and Maqta Bridge at Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street.

Depending on your budget, renting a car for a day from a trustworthy car rental company in Dubai could also be a cost-effective option to get to the mosque if you are coming as a small group. In addition to being able to spend as much time as you want in Dubai, you would also be able to explore other attractions in Abu Dhabi as well, so you would have plenty of time to take advantage of it.

For any question, get in touch with officials.

• Tel. No.: +971 2 4191919
• info@szgmc.ae
• https://www.szgmc.gov.ae/en/Home

Updated on 8 Sept 2023