UAE’s first official synagogue to open in 2022

Construction on the United Arab Emirates’ first official synagogue will begin next year and be completed by 2022, according to media reports. The synagogue will be part of the multi-faith “Abrahamic Family House” complex in Abu Dhabi, which will also feature a mosque and church of which full construction will be completed in 2022. The complex was announced in February following a visit by Pope Francis to the UAE, the first by a pontiff to the Arabian Peninsula. Presently, a small Jewish community of expatriates currently use a house in Dubai for private worship. Other official non-Muslim places of worship in the country include Christian churches, a Hindu temple and a Sikh Gurdwara.