Sikh community gets dedicated place of worship

Dubai: The UAE's first official gurudwara, a place of worship for the Sikh community, has opened in Jebel Ali.

"We are thankful to His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, [Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai], with whose permission this has materialised," said a businessman associated with the gurudwara. Spread over 25,000 square feet near the Jebel Ali Hospital, the gurudwara has a dedicated floor for community feasts and a huge hall for kirtan (devotional songs).

There is parking space in the basement.

Presently the Sikh community offers prayers in a gurudwara in the temple complex in Bur Dubai. There are an estimated 50,000 Sikhs in the UAE, hailing from India and Pakistan.