Abu Dhabi: Visitors to Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque must now pay an entry fee. UAE Emirates ID holders pay Dh5, while international tourists pay Dh10.
The mosque continues to allow worshippers to enter. People over 60 years of age, children under three years old and people of determination are also exempt from the entry charge.
Tickets can be booked online through the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre website. Visitors may make reservations up to one month before their planned visit.
The mosque welcomes visitors from Saturday to Thursday between 9 am and 8.30 pm. On Fridays,s visiting hours are from 9 am to 11.30 am0am and from 2.30 pm to 8.30 pm.
Free cultural tours
Guests visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque can also take part in cultural tours that last between 30 and 45 minutes.
These guided tours highlight the mosque’s importance, its message of coexistence and tolerance, and the history behind how it was built.
Tours run every day from Monday to Sunday at 11 a .m., 1 p.m., and 5 pm. On Fridays, tours are available at 11 am and 5 pm.
Then 3.12 million visitors in six months
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre reported that more than 3.12 million people visited the mosque between January and June 2026.
A total of 3,127,607 individuals entered the mosque. Used its facilities during that period. This included 1,841,305 worshippers and those attending iftar, as well as 1,241,808 visitors from various countries.
International visitors made up 78 per cent of the number of guests. Asia contributed the most with 52 per cent, followed by Europe at 31 per cent and North America at 10 per cent.
India was the top source country,y accounting for 21 per cent of visitors. China followed with 10 per cent, Russia with 8 per cent,t and the US with 7 per cent.
A major Abu Dhabi landmark
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the mosque in the United Arab Emirates. It was envisioned by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as a symbol of peace, tolerance and diversity.
Construction started in 1996. Finished in 2007. The mosque has 82 marble domes, more than 1,000 columns, large crystal chandeliers, and the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet.