Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque

Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque tickets and tours: which one to book

There is no ticket for the Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque and none is sold online. It is a working congregational mosque and Islamic centre, entry is free, and non-Muslim visitors who are modestly dressed are generally welcome to look around outside prayer times. Arrangements for visitors change from time to time, so it is worth checking locally or with your hotel whether guided visits are currently offered before making a special journey. The mosque stands in the Al Safa district between Al Wasl Road and Sheikh Zayed Road, in a residential area a short drive from Downtown Dubai and the Burj Khalifa, and the simplest way to get there is by taxi or ride-hailing car.

Most visitors who see it are on a private or small-group city tour of Dubai that drives past or stops briefly on the way between the old creekside districts of Deira and Bur Dubai, Jumeirah Mosque and the Burj Al Arab. Such tours normally include transport and a guide, with entry tickets to attractions like the Burj Khalifa observation decks charged separately. Visitors whose main interest is learning about Islam and Emirati culture often pair this mosque with a formal visit to Jumeirah Mosque or the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, where structured tours are run. The page lists any GetYourGuide tours whose route passes the mosque.

Visiting Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque: what to see and how to behave

The present mosque opened in 2011 on the site of an earlier mosque of 1986, and it is named after Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph, whose title al-Farooq refers to his ability to distinguish truth from falsehood. Its design draws openly on the classical Ottoman mosques of Istanbul, especially the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, and residents sometimes call it the Blue Mosque of Dubai, though it also blends in Andalusian and other Islamic details. From outside the building rises in a cascade of domes: a central dome about 30 m high, ringed by four half-domes and 15 smaller domes, with slim pencil minarets in the Ottoman manner. The complex covers about 4,200 square metres and the prayer hall holds around 2,000 worshippers.

Inside, look for the way the half-domes open up the central space beneath the main dome, the painted and tiled decoration in blues and turquoise, the calligraphy running around the drum of the dome, the coloured glass windows and the large chandelier. The mosque is also an educational centre, with classes and lectures for the community. Remove your shoes at the entrance, keep shoulders and knees covered, and women should cover their hair. Stay at the back of the prayer hall and do not walk in front of anyone praying. Ask before taking photographs inside, and avoid filming people at prayer. Behaviour that would be acceptable in a museum, such as loud conversation or posing for photographs, is out of place here.

Al Farooq Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque: opening hours, ceremonies and the best time to go

The mosque is open from before dawn until after the night prayer, but visitors should come between prayers, typically mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Friday around midday is the busiest time of the week, with the hall and the surrounding streets full for the sermon, and is best avoided. Dubai's pleasant season runs from November to March, when daytime temperatures are comfortable for walking outside.

From June to September it is very hot and humid, though the mosque interior is air-conditioned. During Ramadan the evening prayers draw large congregations and the atmosphere after the breaking of the fast is lively, but visitor access may be more limited. Allow 30 to 45 minutes. Combine it with Safa Park, the boutiques of City Walk, Jumeirah Mosque and Jumeirah Beach, or the towers of Downtown Dubai a few kilometres away.