The project will feature an underwater prayer hall…

Dubai’s ever-growing list of megaprojects always manages to blow us away and when we learned about a floating mosque that is slated to be built upon the Dubai Canal in 2024, it just reaffirmed that for us.

The mosque will be the first of its kind and will feature three floors and a submerged prayer hall, able to accommodate 50 to 75 worshippers. With the third floor being underwater, the other two floors above water will have a hall for Islamic lectures and workshops.

The design of the mosque shows an indoor male seating area and a coffee shop with outdoor seating on the bottom level. The top level has indoor and outdoor seating areas for ladies.

The mosque has been conceptualised by Dubai’s Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) as part of the new drive to promote religious tourism. The project is set to cost around Dhs55 million.

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The mosque will welcome people of all faiths to visit and explore the mosque, labelled an ‘important attraction’ by Ahmed Khalfan Al Mansouri, the cultural communication consultant at IACAD. When open, all visitors will be expected to dress modestly and behave respectfully according to religious customs.

While we don’t have an exact opening date this year, the hope is that it will come to life very soon.

Other projects to keep an eye out for

There are several mega projects in the pipeline for Dubai in the coming years.

Something we’re waiting for eagerly is the Etihad Rail, possibly the biggest megaproject coming to the UAE. The passenger service will link 11 cities across the seven emirates by the year 2030. Stay tuned to as we are honestly as excited as you, and keeping a close eye on all the details.

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai unveiled the masterplan of Palm Jebel Ali early in 2023. The new mega project will be twice the size of the original and is spread over some 13.4 square kilometres.

Images: Getty Images