Christianity by country |
---|
Christianityportal |
Christians in the United Arab Emirates account for 12.9% of the total population according to 2020 estimates. [1]
The government recognises various Christian denominations. [2] Christians are free to worship and wear religious clothing, if applicable. The country has Catholic, Eastern, Oriental Orthodox and Protestant churches. [3] Although Christian women can marry Muslim men freely, marriage between Muslim women and non-Muslim men is forbidden. [4]
The importation and sale of religious material is allowed; however, attempts to spread Christianity among Muslims are not permitted. Customs authorities review the content of imported religious materials and will occasionally confiscate some of them. [5] Conversion from Islam is discouraged. [5] In spite of this, a 2015 study estimated some 200 Christians from a Muslim background, though not all of those are necessarily citizens of the UAE. [6] Christmas items are sold in the country and noted in the media; in 2022 the UAE President and Vice President wished everyone a Merry Christmas on social media. [5]
In pre-Islamic times, the population of Eastern Arabia consisted of Christianized Arabs (including Abd al-Qays) and Assyrian Christians among other religions. [7] Syriac functioned as a liturgical language. [8] [9] Serjeant states that the Baharna may be the Arabized descendants of converts from the original population of Christians (Aramaeans), among other religions at the time of Arab conquests. [10] Beth Qatraye which translates "region of the Qataris" in Syriac was the Christian name used for the region encompassing north-eastern Arabia. [11] [12] It included Bahrain, Tarout Island, Al-Khatt, Al-Hasa, and Qatar. [13] Oman and the United Arab Emirates comprised the diocese known as Beth Mazunaye. The name was derived from 'Mazun', the Persian name for Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Sohar was the central city of the diocese. [11] [13] In 2014, 25% of the Dubai residents were Christians. [14]
The Catholic Church in the United Arab Emirates is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Expatriates in the country who are Catholics are largely Filipinos, Indians, Afghanis & Sri Lankans, South Americans, Lebanese, Africans, Italians, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Germans, Ukrainians and other Europeans. The United Arab Emirates forms part of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia and the Vicar Apostolic Bishop Paul Hinder is based in Abu Dhabi. [15]
In 2023, there are 10 Catholic churches in the region: [16]
Eastern Orthodox Christians in UAE traditionally belong to the jurisdiction of Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. Eastern Orthodox parishes in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were organized in 1980 by late Metropolitan Constantine Papastephanou of Baghdad and Kuwait (1969–2014), who also had ecclesiastical jurisdiction over Eastern Orthodox in UAE. [17] Since 1989, parish in Abu Dhabi was administered by priest Stephanos Neaimeh. After the retirement of Metropolitan Constantine in 2014, the Holy Synod of Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch decided to establish an Exarchate for Eastern Orthodox in UAE. In the same time, auxiliary Bishop Gregorios Khoury was appointed head of the newly established Exarchate, subjected directly to Patriarch John X of Antioch who personally visited UAE in the spring of 2014 and inaugurated the construction of new Eastern Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Elias in Abu Dhabi.[ citation needed ]
The main Oriental Orthodox churches fall under the Coptic Orthodox Church. There are several Coptic Orthodox churches in the UAE such as:
Abu Dhabi:
Dubai:
Sharjah:
Ras Al Khaimah:
There are also two Armenian Apostolic Churches:
The primary registered protestant Churches in the United Arab Emirates are Anglican, Evangelical, and the Mar Thoma Church. The Anglican Communion is represented by the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. Evangelical Churches exist from various denominations including Presbyterian, Baptist, Brethren, and Pentecostal.
Registered Protestant Churches in the United Arab Emirates:
The large number of migrants from the South Indian state of Kerala follow Christianity, predominantly from the Christian belt of Central Kerala. The denominations represented by this community includes the Mar Thoma Syrian Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, Knanaya, Pentecostalism (including Indian Pentecostal Church of God, Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), Assemblies of God USA, among others) and numerous other evangelical and non-denominational independent groups.
Sharjah houses a church district in Al Yarmook Area which includes places of worship for Coptics, Armenians, Keralites, Filipinos, etc. Since 2006 there are also an independent Afrikaans Churches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Most of the members ad here from the Afrikaans speaking Reformed and Evangelical Churches in South Africa.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a presence in the United Arab Emirates, including their scouting group Pathfinders. [18]
Over 100 Evangelical and Pentecostal churches meet every week in the Holy Trinity Church Complex, Oud Metha (near the St.Marys Church). The Dubai City Church is one of several churches meeting here, since 1999.
In Sharjah, the Assyrian Church of the East has a church building, the Mart Mariam Church. The church has operated since 2005, and is jointly shared with St. Thomas Christians with an attendance of more than 300. [19]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints formally began holding church services in Dubai in 1982. [20] The services grew from a small group of less than ten people to a stake organized by apostle Jeffrey R. Holland in 2013. [21] The stake currently has 6 congregations: 5 wards and 1 branch. [22]
On April 5, 2020, church president Russell M. Nelson announced that the government of the United Arab Emirates had invited the church to construct a temple in Dubai. [23] According to the church, the temple will be constructed in District 2020 after Expo 2020 has concluded. [24]
Christian art is an important part of expressing faith for Christians, as are the many forms of Christian media. Archeological sites containing early Christian art and architecture can be found throughout the region, including at Sir Bani Yas and Siniyah Island. [25] [26]
Christian news outlets such as Christian Broadcasting Network and Trinity Broadcasting Network operate in the region, as do various forms of Christian radio. [27] [28] [29] Contemporary Christian music bands and artists have performed and recorded music videos in the country, and Christian films often see release in Dubai theatres. [30] [31] [32] [33] There are Christian bookstores, which carry Christian literature and media, there is a chain of Bible Society Book Stores which can be found in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Al Ain, and RAK. [34]
The United Arab Emirates is a country in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula located on the southeastern coast of the Persian Gulf and the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Oman. The UAE consists of seven emirates and was founded on 2 December 1971 as a federation, after UK armed forces left the region. Six of the seven emirates declared their union on 2 December 1971. The seventh, Ras al Khaimah, joined the federation on 10 February 1972. The seven sheikdoms were formerly known as the Trucial States, in reference to the truce treaties established with the British in the 19th century.
The United Arab Emirates is situated in the Middle East and West Asia, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia; it is at a strategic location along the northern approaches to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil. The UAE lies between 22°50′ and 26° north latitude and between 51° and 56°25′ east longitude. It shares a 19 km (12 mi) border with Qatar on the northwest, a 530 km (330 mi) border with Saudi Arabia on the west, south, and southeast, and a 450 km (280 mi) border with Oman on the southeast and northeast.
Transport in the United Arab Emirates refers to the various forms of transport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by road, rail, air, and water.
E 11 is a highway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The longest road in the Emirates, it stretches from the Al Batha border crossing at the Saudi Arabia–UAE border in al-Silah in the al-Dhafra region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and ends at the Oman–UAE border crossing of al-Darah in al-Jeer, Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, running roughly parallel to UAE's coastline along the Persian Gulf. The road forms the main artery in some emirates' main cities, where it assumes various alternate names —Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Road and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, Al Ittihad Road in Sharjah Emirate and Ajman Emirate, and Sheikh Muhammad bin Salem Road in Ras al-Khaimah.
E 311 is a major road in the United Arab Emirates. It begins in New Al Falah in Abu Dhabi and extends north-eastward towards the Ras al-Khaimah emirate. E 311 has been called Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road since January 2013 and is commonly known as SMBZ Road. Prior to that it was called Emirates Road, but that name is now given to E 611, which was previously Dubai Bypass Road.
The Catholic Church in the United Arab Emirates is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia is an apostolic vicariate of the Catholic Church with territorial jurisdiction for Oman, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
E 611 is a road constructed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Also known as the "Emirates Road", E 611 is developed to link the emirate of Abu Dhabi with the northern emirates of Ras al Khaimah, Umm al Quwain, parallel to E311 without passing through the city of Dubai.
The Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf is one of three dioceses in the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, a province in the Anglican Communion. It covers Cyprus and the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and Yemen. The bishop in Cyprus and the Gulf is the Ordinary of the diocese. In every part of the diocese, except in Cyprus and Iraq, the congregations are largely expatriate, with many Christians from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and the African continent. The diocese is linked with the Diocese of Exeter in England and the Diocese of Thika in Kenya. The diocese is divided into the Archdeaconry of Cyprus and the Archdeaconry of the Gulf: Christopher Futcher was collated archdeacon in Cyprus on 7 September 2019. The Rev'd Canon Dr. Michael Mbona, a Zimbabwean serving at St. Paul's in Kuwait, was appointed as Archdeacon for the Gulf, following the retirement of long-serving Archdeacon Bill Schwartz, OBE.
The Holy Trinity Church is an inter-denominational Christian church in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is part of the Chaplaincy of Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates. It was founded on 5 April 1970, on the land granted by the Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
The Chaplaincy of Dubai with Sharjah and the Northern Emirates is part of the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. The Chaplaincy consists of five churches in the United Arab Emirates:
The 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup was the fifteenth tournament of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The tournament was held in the United Arab Emirates from 17 October to 8 November. Nigeria won the tournament after defeating Mexico 3–0 in the final, claiming the country's fourth title. Sweden won the bronze with a 4–1 victory over Argentina in the third-place play-off match.
The Higher Colleges of Technology(HCT) (Arabic: كليّات التقنيّة العليا) is a public institute of technology with 16 campuses and facilities throughout the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1988 by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak al-Nahyan, it is the largest applied higher educational institution in the country.
The geology of the United Arab Emirates includes very thick Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic marine and continental sedimentary rocks overlying deeply buried Precambrian. The region has extensive oil and gas resources and was deformed during the last several million years by more distant tectonic events.
Tourism in the United Arab Emirates is an important part of the Emirati economy. In 2023, the tourism sector employed 809,300 people and contributed 220 billion dirham to the national gross domestic product (GDP), accounting for 12% of it. In 2024, the UAE was the 6th destination globally by international tourism receipts according to the World Tourism rankings, and it ranked 18th globally in the Travel and Tourism Development Index.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United Arab Emirates refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The church's first self-standing meetinghouse in the Middle East was dedicated in Abu Dhabi in 2013. As of 2021, there are four meetinghouses and six congregations. In April 2020, the intent to construct a temple in Dubai was announced.
More than 56% of Dubai residents are Muslims, 25% of the population is Christian and 16% is Hindu. 2% of the population of Dubai has a different religion.