UAE: New Quran Mosque inaugurated in Aljada, one of Sharjah’s largest and first in community

Sharjah has welcomed a significant new addition to its architectural and religious landscape with the opening of the Quran Mosque in Aljada. Designed with both scale and simplicity in mind, the mosque reflects the emirate’s commitment to Islamic values, community well-being, and modern spiritual infrastructure.On the afternoon of August 21, 2025, H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of Arada, officially inaugurated the Quran Mosque in the Aljada district. Following the opening ceremony, Sheikh Sultan led worshippers in the Dhuhr (midday) prayer, marking the mosque’s spiritual debut.The inauguration was attended by a number of high-level officials and dignitaries, including:Spanning 6,388 square metres, the Quran Mosque is one of the largest mosques in Sharjah and the first to be established in the Aljada community. Its design is notable for the absence of interior columns, creating an open and uninterrupted prayer space — a rare architectural feature that enhances both visibility and serenity.Key architectural and spatial features include:The mosque is topped with a circular central dome and a 39-metre-high minaret, blending minimalism with traditional Islamic aesthetics. The exterior is enhanced by elegant Arabic calligraphy, merging simplicity with visual sophistication.Beyond its architectural elegance, the Quran Mosque incorporates thoughtful facilities designed to support spiritual and communal life. These include:These features aim to create a welcoming and functional environment for both daily prayer and deeper spiritual engagement, serving both residents of Aljada and visitors to the area.During the opening, religious scholar Salem Al Doubi delivered a speech highlighting the mosque’s importance as a gathering place for worship and moral upliftment. He spoke on the spiritual rewards of building mosques and their role in promoting peace and unity among the faithful, describing them as "houses of God" with a central place in Islamic life.The Quran Mosque is not a standalone project. It marks the first of several mosques planned by Arada to meet the growing needs of the Aljada community. Two additional mosques are in development, forming part of a broader effort aligned with Sharjah’s long-term vision to expand access to places of worship across the emirate.The Quran Mosque in Aljada adds to Sharjah’s growing spiritual infrastructure, reflecting a wider emirate-level strategy to meet the worship needs of its communities. As of 2023, Sharjah was home to 3,092 mosques, according to the Department of Statistics and Community Development. This figure includes 2,380 mosques in Sharjah city, covering areas such as Al Hamriyah and Abu Musa Island, along with 448 mosques in the Central Region and 264 in the Eastern Region.These mosques vary widely in architectural style, drawing from Andalusian, Fatimid, Mamluk, Ottoman, Moroccan, and traditional Arabic design traditions. Together, they form a diverse and geographically distributed network, earning Sharjah its longstanding reputation as the “City of Minarets.”Further reinforcing this religious and cultural vision is the Mosque Libraries Project, initiated under the direction of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi. This initiative has introduced libraries into numerous mosques across the emirate, offering curated collections in areas such as Quranic interpretation, hadith, Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), prophetic biography, Arabic language, and children's Islamic literature. The goal is to foster religious literacy, promote a deeper understanding of Islam, and cultivate a culture of reading within the mosque environment.This growing network is anchored by major landmarks such as the Sharjah Grand Mosque, inaugurated in 2019 by the Ruler of Sharjah. Positioned as a central cultural and spiritual monument, the mosque features 81 domes, two 75-metre-high minarets, and a main dome reaching 45 metres in height with a diameter of 27 metres.The mosque integrates woodwork, Arabic calligraphy, and open spatial design into its architecture. In addition to its prayer spaces, it houses a comprehensive Islamic library, a museum, gift shop, Islamic garden, designated ablution areas with 352 facilities, and amenities to accommodate both worshippers and non-Muslim visitors. With outdoor walkways and rest areas, the Sharjah Grand Mosque is designed as both a religious space and a cultural hub, reinforcing Sharjah’s broader vision for accessible and educational spiritual infrastructure, and establishing it as a key destination for cultural and religious tourism in the UAE.