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Solo, Indonesia / WAM
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indonesian President Joko Widodo have inaugurated the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the Indonesian city of Solo.
The two leaders performed prayers together at the mosque before His Highness Sheikh Mohamed signed a commemorative plaque to mark the opening.
Named in honour of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the mosque shares design elements with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, with the addition of traditional Indonesian influences. The mosque, which was constructed using local materials, can accommodate 10,000 worshippers and contains 56 domes and four minarets, along with 32 columns in the main prayer area.
President Joko Widodo expressed his deep thanks and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed for inaugurating the mosque and for attending its opening. The Indonesian President spoke of the mosque symbolising the strong UAE-Indonesia relations and the two countries’ shared values of cooperation and peaceful coexistence. He also expressed his pride that the mosque bears the name of a leader whose integrity and deeds earned respect and admiration across the world.
His Highness the UAE President expressed his happiness and pride in the opening of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque which, he said, represents the depth of the longstanding bonds between the two nations. He recalled the late Sheikh Zayed’s fondness for Indonesia and its people, and his historic visit to the country in 1990.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed thanked President Joko Widodo for his messages of goodwill towards the UAE and the late Sheikh Zayed, noting that the UAE’s Founding Father always promoted solidarity between the people of the world. His Highness spoke of the mosque embodying Islam’s message of peace and progress, and wished continued wellbeing and stability for the people of Solo and Indonesia.
The UAE and Indonesian Presidents ended the visit with a tree-planting ceremony in the mosque’s courtyard.
Accompanying His Highness Sheikh Mohamed at the opening was a delegation including HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court; HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Advisor for Special Affairs at the Ministry of Presidential Court; Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure; Dr Hamdan Musallam Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Red Crescent; and Dr. Omar Al-Darei, Executive Director of Islamic Affairs at the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments.
The UAE ambassador to Indonesia Abdulla Salem Al Dhaheri and members of the embassy staff were also present, along with a number of Indonesian government ministers and senior officials, and a large number of invited guests.