The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi welcomed a record number of worshippers on the 27th night of Ramadan. A total of 70,000 people attended prayers, including 11,589 performing Taraweeh and 59,091 praying Tahajjud as the mosque provided iftar meals for 33,500 people.
The prayers were led by Sheikh Idris Abkar, the imam of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque who prayed for the continuing security and prosperity of the UAE, for the guidance of its leaders and for forgiveness for the Founding Fathers.
The mosque’s halls, corridors, and courtyards were filled with worshippers from all walks of life, creating a scene of peace and tranquillity.
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In addition to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, large numbers of worshippers also attended prayers at other mosques in the UAE.
At the Sheikh Khalifa Grand Mosque in Al Ain, the total number of worshippers was 28,850, including 3,734 who performed the Isha and Taraweeh prayers, and 25,116 attended the Tahajjud prayer.
At the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Fujairah, the total number of worshippers was 13,634, including 2,318 who performed the Isha and Taraweeh prayers, and 11,316 for the Tahajjud prayer.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre made every effort to accommodate the large number of worshippers, providing a range of services in cooperation with various government agencies.
These services included:
- Providing more than 70 electric cars to transport worshippers from the parking lots to the mosque’s facilities and prayer halls
- Providing more than 50 wheelchairs
- Carpeting the mosque’s courtyard and setting up special prayer areas for women
- Increasing the number of mobile information points throughout the mosque
- Providing additional water bottles
- Distributing more than 3,515 comfortable seats for worshippers in various parts of the mosque
- Providing a medically equipped ambulance in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority
In anticipation of the large number of worshippers, the Centre, in collaboration with the relevant authorities, allocated 1,800 additional parking spaces this year, bringing to 8,379 the total number of parking spaces.
It also provided a shuttle bus service between the parking lots and the mosque, in coordination with the Integrated Transport Centre to help reduce traffic congestion on the main and secondary roads around the mosque and its entrances.
To ensure smooth traffic flow, the Directorate General of Traffic and Patrols at Abu Dhabi Police implemented a comprehensive plan, increasing the number of police officers and patrols in the area surrounding the mosque and its various entrances.
In line with its value of volunteering, the centre doubled the number of volunteers to more than 580. These included all the centre’s employees in various specialties, who worked after their official working hours and shifts, alongside volunteers from the Emirates Red Crescent, the “Absher Ya Watan” volunteer team, police officers, paramedics, civil defence personnel, and support staff.