Jumeirah Mosque 🇦🇪

Jumeirah Mosque is a landmark place of worship situated in the coastal Jumeirah district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, along the Persian Gulf. Positioned in an area recognized for its beach resorts and expatriate community that expanded during the region's oil development era, the mosque was commissioned by the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum as a gift for his son, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Construction commenced in 1975, and the site officially opened in 1979 following its design by Cairo-based architects Abd al-Muʿizz Husayn and Muhammad al-Mahdi Hegazy of Hegazy Engineering Consultancy.

Constructed from yellow-pink sandstone, the building incorporates historic Islamic architectural elements, particularly drawing from Fatimid and Egyptian Mamluk styles. Its exterior features twin minarets and a central dome adorned with deep relief carvings. An outer courtyard contains fountains designed for ritual ablution, known as wudu. The structure includes two separate entrances: one along Jumeirah Street intended for tour groups, and another on the opposite side for worshippers, which is inscribed with Quranic epigraphy from Surah At-Tawbah emphasizing daily prayer.

The main prayer hall accommodates up to 1,200 worshippers and features columns arranged in a hypostyle layout rooted in Seljuk and Mamluk architectural traditions. A large carpet with floral patterns covers the floor, while the walls display script featuring the Victory verse from the Quran. The interior paintwork ascends through layers of beige, yellow, and salmon pink to a blue ceiling and dome representing the sky, drawing conceptual inspiration from Spain's Alhambra complex while employing a distinct palette of secondary and tertiary tones.

Overseen by the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, which previously used the property as its headquarters before relocating to Bur Dubai, the site is one of the few mosques in Dubai open to non-Muslim visitors. Access for tourists is provided exclusively through guided visits organized under the center's Open Doors. Open Minds. educational initiative. Led by Muslim guides from diverse backgrounds outside of prayer hours, these sessions cover the Five Pillars of Islam, prayer practices, and ablution before concluding with a question-and-answer period. Entry requires adherence to dress standards, including modest attire for adults and headscarves for women.

The broader complex houses several guest facilities, including the Once Upon a Time museum dedicated to the history of Dubai, a dining space serving Emirati food prior to tour departures, and a majlis containing a gift shop that can also be reserved for special events. Reflecting its cultural prominence, the building was previously depicted on the 2003 series of the 500 UAE dirham banknote prior to being replaced by the Burj Khalifa.

Jumeirah Mosque in pictures