UEA unveils plans for mosque, church and synagogue on one site

Abu Dhabi has unveiled plans for a three-in-one religious complex with a church, a mosque and a synagogue on one site. The facility, to be known as the Abrahamic Family House, will be located on Saadiyat Island in the United Arab Emirates’ capital city, right next to the new Louvre Abu Dhabi. Abraham of the […]

Abu Dhabi has unveiled plans for a three-in-one religious complex with a church, a mosque and a synagogue on one site.

The facility, to be known as the Abrahamic Family House, will be located on Saadiyat Island in the United Arab Emirates’ capital city, right next to the new Louvre Abu Dhabi. Abraham of the Old Testament is considered a holy prophet in all three religions.

The Abrahamic Family House is among the first projects of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, which was reviewed at its second meeting held at the New York Public Library in which the Committee shared with stakeholders their mission to progress a culture of mutual respect and dialogue across all backgrounds, beliefs and nationalities.

Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and several top Emirati officials, and representatives of several institutions and partners were present.

The meeting coincides with the beginning of the 74th United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.

The new body is empowered to provide guidance and counsel on realising the goals of the “Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” signed by His Holiness, Pope Francis of the Catholic Church, and His Eminence Dr. Ahmad Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif, in Abu Dhabi, during the Papal visit in February this year.

Following the Higher Committee’s inaugural meeting at the Vatican earlier this month, the New York gathering was the second time the Higher Committee has met in two weeks.

One of the first projects the Higher Committee will help guide is the Abrahamic Family House, to be located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi. A reflection of the Document on Human Fraternity, a church, mosque and synagogue will share a collective space for the first time, serving as a community for inter-religious dialogue and exchange, and nurturing the values of peaceful co-existence and acceptance among different beliefs, nationalities and cultures.

The design of the Abrahamic Family House, by the award-winning and globally-renowned architect, Sir David Adjaye OBE, was unveiled at the New York event.