The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has achieved advanced global rankings among the best cultural and historical landmarks worldwide, according to a report published by the travel and tourism specialist company "TripAdvisor" for the year 2024. The report results were based on the analysis of over 8 million data cards provided by travelers from different nationalities who evaluated the most important landmarks in the world. The United Arab Emirates hosted the largest number of tourist attractions in the Middle East, according to the 2024 TripAdvisor ranking. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque topped the list of the most attractive landmarks in the region.
In the category of "Top Attractions," the mosque ranked 10th globally and 1st in the Middle East among 25 attractions worldwide. In the category of "Top Experiences," the mosque held the 17th position globally and the 2nd rank in the Middle East for the experience of a trip from Dubai to Abu Dhabi (Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Qasr Al Watan, and the Etihad Towers). In the "Cultural and Historical Experiences" category, the mosque ranked 3rd globally, among 25 landmarks worldwide.
This achievement reflects significant progress compared to the results of 2023, with improvements of 5 ranks in the "Top Attractions" category, 3 ranks in the "Top Experiences" category, and 4 ranks in the "Cultural and Historical Experiences" category. Regarding this achievement, Dr. Yousef Al Obaidli, General Director of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, stated: "The mosque achieving this global distinction translates the wise vision of the leadership. These results are the fruits of the Center's five-year strategic plan aimed at developing its services and offering new experiences for its visitors."
He emphasized the success of the center in training more than 250 young Emirati nationals in the field of cultural tours and visitor service, consisting of center staff and graduates of the "Ibn Al Dar" program, which is part of the "Building Youth" initiative. They provide over 5,000 cultural tours at the mosque, serving more than 7 million visitors of various cultures from around the world who visit the mosque annually, with 80% coming from outside the country.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center is working on enhancing facilities and diversifying the range of activities and services it offers to its visitors at high standards, to meet their needs and enable them to spend a full day within its grounds, such as the "Visitor Center" which includes exhibition halls, a theater, and a library, and the "Mosque Market" that features shops, entertainment areas, and restaurants catering to various age groups in a unique atmosphere. This also integrates with the mosque's sports promenade, which provides community members of different backgrounds and cultures an opportunity to exercise and enjoy the services available against the stunning external backdrop of the mosque.
The center operates under a five-year strategic plan and an integrated system, through specialized teams across various fields, effectively delivering exceptional experiences to visitors of diverse cultures. The center also focuses on developing its staff capabilities in different areas to provide the best services worthy of its position as a leading religious and cultural monument.
The center offers various experiences such as "Hidden Glimpses of the Mosque" tours, which take families and other groups on cultural tours in specially equipped electric cars, revealing details about the mosque, including exclusive stops previously unknown to them. It also provides "Sere" night cultural tours for visitors from 10:00 PM to 9:00 AM, designed to allow visitors to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the country during international flight layover times. Participants in the night cultural tours enjoy insights into aspects previously unseen by visitors, such as regular maintenance and exceptional cleaning processes taking place during the tours. Furthermore, mosque visitors can benefit from the "Guide" service, a multimedia device providing exceptional virtual cultural tours in 14 world languages, enabling 24-hour access to one of the most prominent religious, national, and cultural attractions globally.
