The Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development (DSCD) has announced that the number of mosques in the emirate had increased to 2,813 last year –a27 percent rise from the 2,223 places of Islamic worship registered in 2018.

The 2,813 registered in the emirate included 1,262 government-run and 1,551 privately run mosques. This indicated a significant increase in the number of government-run mosques, up from 880 in 2018. There had been 1,343 privately run mosques in 2018.

The department said that Sharjah city registered the most number of mosques at 2,119 in 2020, up from 1,705 in 2018. The Central Region now has 446 mosques, up from 292, while the Eastern Region recorded 248, against 226 in 2018.

According to DSCD, the number of mosques that can accommodate up to 500 worshipers reached 2,452 in 2020, while mosques with a capacity of between 500 and 999 grew to 153. Around 108 mosques can accommodate between 1,000 and 5,000, while 10 can receive more than 5,000 worshippers.