Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque draws more than 850,000 visitors during Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr

Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque attracted more than 800,000 visitors during Ramadan and the Eid Al Fitr holiday this year, news agency Wam has revealed.

The internationally renowned place of worship welcomed 852,714 guests throughout the period, Wam said.

The number of worshippers who flocked to the mosque through the days and nights of Ramadan to pray and reflect reached 367,867, of which 118,595 performed isha and taraweeh prayers, while 180,896 performed tahajjud.

A record 60,310 Muslims gathered on the 27th day of Ramadan to observe Laylat Al Qadr, a significant night in the Islamic faith. This was the largest number of worshippers hosted by the grand mosque since its opening.

During the Eid Al Fitr holiday, 84,180 worshippers and 83,302 visitors headed to the mosque, Wam reported.

About 1.5 million iftar meals were served at the mosque complex throughout Ramadan and large numbers of copies of the Quran were handed out to worshippers.

To prepare for the influx, Grand Mosque officials teamed up with the Department of Transport to lay on a bus service to the site throughout the last week of Ramadan.

Air-conditioned buses were allocated to transport worshippers to and from car parks.

The centre also worked with the Erth Hotel to provide more than 1,000 additional parking spaces, as well as Zayed Sports City.

More than 40 electric cars were provided to worshippers, while 50 wheelchairs were handed out to those who required them.

The military-style operation was overseen by a team of 580, which included policemen, paramedics, civil defence staff, Emirates Red Crescent volunteers and the centre's staff.