UAE hosts 73 non-muslim places of worship

Abu Dhabi: The UAE, one of the world’s most diverse societies with residents from more than 200 nationalities, has established 73 licensed places of worship for non-Muslims. 

According to figures from the Ministry of Community Development, Abu Dhabi is home to 27 of these centers, followed by Dubai with 14, Ras Al Khaimah with 11, Sharjah with 10, Fujairah with 8, Umm Al Quwain with 2, and Ajman with 1. 

The UAE has long presented itself as a regional hub of coexistence, a message reinforced in 2019 when Abu Dhabi hosted Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, for the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity. 

The United Nations later designated February 4 as the International Day of Human Fraternity to mark the occasion.

The licensing of new places of worship is regulated under Federal Law No. 9 of 2023, which sets out conditions for establishing non-Muslim worship centers. 

Applicants must represent recognized faiths, have at least 20 founding members over the age of 40, prove five years of residency in the UAE, and demonstrate the financial capacity to build and operate the facility. Each application must also include endorsements from established religious authorities.

Non-Muslim worship in the UAE has deep roots, with Abu Dhabi hosting some of the region’s earliest churches. St. Joseph’s Church, established in 1965 on land gifted by Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was among the first Catholic community centers in the capital.

Other landmarks include St. Andrew’s Church (1968), St. George Orthodox Church (1970), and the Coptic Orthodox Church (1984). In 2006, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, allocated land for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,  the first in the Gulf region, opened in 2013.

In Dubai, Christian congregations have been present for over half a century. St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oud Metha, built more than 50 years ago, now serves worshippers from over 150 nationalities, offering services in 17 languages. Jebel Ali has since become another hub, with multiple churches catering to diverse expatriate communities.

In Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm Al Quwain, the Al Yarmouk complex stands as a remarkable example of multi-faith coexistence, hosting 15 churches that serve more than 170 nationalities, including Russian, Egyptian, Syrian, Indian, Ethiopian, Armenian, Italian, and Nepali congregations.

The UAE also made history in 2015 by allocating land in Abu Dhabi for the Hindu Mandir, a temple serving the Indian community.