What to wear at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi?

Are you planning to visit the grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi? Lucky you! It is one of the most stunning places I have visited and I am sure it will impress you as well. I can imagine you are wondering what to wear at this Mosque, so here is my answer

What to expect in this article

Background of the Mosque

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a mosque in Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) and one the largest mosques in the world. It blends different Islamic architectural schools. Next to that ‘It features 82 domes, more than 1,000 columns, 24-carat-gold gilded chandeliers and the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet.’

Our Indian taxi driver also called it the ‘Taj Mahal of the UAE.’

Want to do a tour through Dubai and Abu Dhabi? Click on this link for more information!

What to wear during your trip to the Mosque?

As you might know, in the Muslim culture you should wear clothing that are covering. The same thing for this mosque.

Notice these things:

Wear something that covers your head
Be covered until your ankles
Shorts are not allowed
See-through clothing is not allowed
Be covered until your wrists

My pants were not covering enough, they were just above my ankles and when I told her I could put my pants on my hips (because I always wear it high) a little lower to cover my ankles, this was not allowed.

Underneath the mosque and before you enter, there is a little shopping mall.
Not just with clothes, but also with restaurants like McDonalds, for if you are hungry after visiting.
So because my pants were not allowed, I had to buy some very expensive clothing from there. First I was disappointed in myself, but when I saw the Arabic dresses I knew I wanted that.
Before visiting I was already wondering if I should buy something traditional and I am happy I did. Probably more expensive than outside, but at least I have a dress with a head cover for whenever I will visit an Arabic country or mosque again.

So make sure you take a little jacket with you, wear long pants, and have a scarf to cover your head. We did see many people wearing slippers, so that could be fine to wear.

Lastly, enjoy your time here. I found it incredible to wander around and see all the different corners of this mosque. I would also advise you to visit this mosque in the morning or in the late afternoon/during sunset, so the light is not too bright shining on the mosque and you can make splendid photos.

We walked around here for around 2 hours, also because we took a lot of photos. You can easily finish it in 30 minutes if you walk through.

Don’t forget to book your visit on the website. It is free to visit.

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How to reach the Mosque?

If you are planning to visit Abu Dhabi while staying in Dubai you can easily take a bus.
Hop on the bus at IBN Battuta bus station and get off at Abu Dhabi central bus station.
If you have the grey Nol card, you can easily check in and check out at the bus and you will pay 25 dirham/7euros.

From there I would advise you to take a taxi, which takes only 10 minutes. Then get in the glass dome from where you can enter the mosque underground.