Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque hosts 515,000 visitors

The Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque has hosted around 515,000 people in the first half of the holy month of Ramadan. The centre has provided Iftar meals to 350,000 people through its ‘Guests for Iftar’ project — held annually during Ramadan — in tents located on the premises of the mosque.

The mosque also saw an additional 165,000 worshippers perform Taraweeh prayers during the period.

The Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre offers about 22,000 to 25,000 Iftar meals prepared by the Armed Forces Officers Club daily and it has also allocated separate Iftar tents for women and families.

The centre collaborates with a number of state government agencies, including the Ministry of the Interior, the General Command of Abu Dhabi Police, Directorate of Traffic and Patrols, Public Safety and Emergency Services, Special Tasks, Civil Defence, Women Police, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha), Department of Transport and others.

The centre coordinates with the departments of the Ministry of Interior and General Command of Abu Dhabi Police to regulate traffic in the area surrounding the mosque to prepare contingency plans through the provision of ambulances and other emergency services to ensure comfort and safety for those who are fasting and offering prayers throughout the holy month.

It is also providing a mobile field hospital to administer first aid.

A number of those who are fasting expressed their happiness at being able to visit the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque to have Iftar meals, and appreciated the efforts of those in charge of the charity project, emphasising that the UAE is a leader in charitable work and helping the needy — whether here in the country or anywhere else in the world. They all prayed for the late Shaikh Zayed.

The Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre is affiliated to the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and has the sponsorship and follow-up of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.