On Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island, a short distance from the Zayed National Museum, three cubic buildings stand side by side. Together, they make up the “Abrahamic Family House,” a complex that has brought Muslims, Jews, and Christians together under one roof of shared recognition since 2023.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced plans for the project in 2019, after Pope Francis visited Abu Dhabi and signed the Document on Human Fraternity with Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb.
The decision gained further significance in 2020, when the Emirates became the first Gulf state to normalize relations with Israel. Leaders in Abu Dhabi framed the site as a permanent marker of that shift toward dialogue.
Equal size, distinct identity
British-Ghanaian architect Sir David Adjaye designed the three houses of worship with equal scale but different character. The Imam Al-Tayeb Mosque uses carved geometric screens and soft gray carpets. The Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue has Hebrew inscriptions of the Ten Commandments, a Torah room, and a bronze lattice that filters the sun. The St. Francis Church opens to morning light, with a marble altar and wooden pews.
Each structure reflects its tradition but sits on the same stone foundation. Between them, shaded courtyards and fountains offer space for visitors moving between services and events.
A place for worship and visitors
Since opening in March 2023, the Abrahamic Family House has hosted daily prayers, Christian services, and Jewish worship — the first of its kind in a purpose-built public synagogue in the Emirates. The complex also draws visitors for tours, lectures, and interfaith programs. Officials reported more than 100,000 visitors in its first year.
The Abrahamic Family House — a mosque, church and synagogue by David Adjaye
Abu Dhabi, UAE 🇦🇪 pic.twitter.com/iZHy3ZZq8T
— Architectural Art (A-A) (@4AAAAart) August 1, 2025
The site has become part of Abu Dhabi’s cultural district, where art museums, monuments, and new landmarks aspire to reframe the city’s global image beyond oil wealth and commerce.
Boundaries and security
The project has won praise for offering space to faiths that have had a long-term presence but are rarely visible in the Gulf. Yet the limits remain clear. Islam is the state religion of the UAE, and proselytizing by other faiths is illegal. Conversion from Islam carries legal penalties.
Security is also tight. Visitors pass through metal detectors and under cameras fixed at entrances and corners, and guards screen cars as they arrive. Measures like these are rarely seen elsewhere in the country but are considered necessary to protect worshippers, particularly at the synagogue.
Measured progress
For Christians and Jews living in the United Arab Emirates, the Abrahamic Family House represents a step toward recognition in public life. For Muslims, it reveals that their faith can share spaces without losing prominence. For the UAE, it is both symbol and statement — a showcase of tolerance with global visibility.
Trump Signs Guest Book At Abrahamic Family House In Abu Dhabi
On May 16, 2025, President Trump signed the guest book at the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates before departing.
During his visit, he expressed his views on the significance of the complex,… pic.twitter.com/OK8U2Su8dW
— Blue Owl (@BlueOwlHoots) May 16, 2025
The site does not resolve wider conflicts or erase legal restrictions. However, it has created a place where three religions, equal in scale and distinct in tradition, can pray within view of one another. On Saadiyat Island, that reality is now built in stone.
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