A Floating Mosque? Yeah, you heard it right!

Dubai Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department is building a Dh55m floating mosque in Dubai Water Canal. The mosque will feature a prayer hall set under water and is expected to open next year. The mosque is a key part of a new religious tourism initiative to attract more visitors to Dubai.

The mosque will have three floors, with the prayer hall located underwater. It will be able to accommodate between 50 and 75 worshippers.

On Thursday, several striking renderings of the floating mosque were released, providing a glimpse into the project’s future. Ahmed Khalfan Al Mansouri, a cultural communication consultant at IACAD, stated that the mosque is one of several initiatives aimed at attracting tourists to religious sites in Dubai.

“The floating mosque will be an important attraction in the emirate,” he said. Visitors will walk into the mosque and either pray or see the underwater praying hall. The two floors of the floating mosque that are above water will have a hall for Islamic lectures and workshops.

“The mosque will be connected to the land. We are finishing the design, and it will be open to visitors next year,” he added.

All faiths are welcome to visit the mosque, but visitors are asked to dress modestly and respectfully in accordance with Islamic customs. Women are specifically asked to wear clothing that covers their heads and shoulders.

In January, the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) announced plans to build the world’s first fully functional 3D-printed mosque. Construction of the 2,000-square-meter mosque in Bur Dubai is scheduled to begin in October 2023, and the mosque is expected to be completed and ready for 600 worshippers by early 2025.