Recently, a lot more people have been going to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center (SZGMC) in Abu Dhabi. Over 3.3 million people went to the mosque in the first half of 2023, which is a 127 percent rise from the same time the year before.
According to Arabian Business, these visitors included 2,388,437 tourists and 914,195 worshipers. While 704,028 individuals visited the visitor center and market, 1,684,409 people came specifically to see the mosque.
It is also important to know the number of Israeli tourists who have visited. Overtaking Pakistani visitors, who accounted for almost 47,500 of all visitors to SZGMC, were nearly 54,000 Israelis.
The SZGMC is well-known all throughout the world as a wonderful tourist site. Visitors travel from all over the world to see the spectacular architecture and religious significance.
It is worth noting that 81% of visitors were from countries outside than the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The mosque is important for more reasons than just religion. Over 32,000 people used the jogging track, which is one of its draws, in the first half of the year. There were 1,104 people who went to the mosque’s library, and 757,026 cars took them there.
The Grand Mosque has received worldwide admiration. TripAdvisor ranked it first in the area and fourth in the “Top Attractions” category in its Travelers’ Choice Awards for 2022: the Best of the Best Destinations ranking.
It also took ninth place globally in the section of “Top Cultural and Historical Tours.”
For official groups, going to the mosque has also become more important. In the first half of the year, 10,979 people were booked into 648 rooms. Heads of state, prime ministers, and members of parliament were among the high-ranking delegates on these trips.
Cultural tours at the mosque are an important component of conveying the message of tolerance based on Islamic teachings. Professionals led 2,637 cultural trips, attracting 37,402 tourists from all over the world.
People come to the mosque from all over the world. India, Russia, China, the United States (US), Germany, Italy, France, Israel, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom (UK) are where most guests come from.
The following table lists the top ten visitor-originating countries:
| Sr. | Country | Number of Visitors |
| 1 | India | 393,566 |
| 2 | Russia | 130,023 |
| 3 | China | 99,277 |
| 4 | US | 92,364 |
| 5 | Germany | 76,857 |
| 6 | Italy | 61,330 |
| 7 | France | 53,996 |
| 8 | Israel | 53,974 |
| 9 | Pakistan | 47,640 |
| 10 | UK | 45,790 |
