Yoon Visits UAE Grand Mosque... "A Great Heritage of Human Culture"

Mrs. Kim Geon-hee Accompanies... Eye-catching 'Shayla' Worn on Head

[Abu Dhabi=Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), visited the Grand Mosque on the 15th (local time) to pay respects at the tomb of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the UAE. President Yoon left a message saying, "With the spirit of inclusion and harmony, the Republic of Korea and the UAE will firmly cooperate for world peace and prosperity."

The Grand Mosque was constructed starting in 1996 under the leadership of the first President Zayed to establish a commemorative facility symbolizing the Islamic values of peace, tolerance, and diversity, and it was opened to the public in 2007. It is five times the size of a soccer field and can accommodate 40,000 worshippers at once, making it the largest mosque in the UAE and the fifth largest Islamic mosque in the world.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who are on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque located in Abu Dhabi on the 15th (local time) and receiving an explanation.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

After paying respects at the tomb, President Yoon removed his shoes and entered the mosque interior. While touring inside, President Yoon referred to it as "a great heritage of human culture that must be historically preserved."

At the outdoor plaza outside the mosque, he asked, "Do people also pray here?" First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who accompanied President Yoon, attracted attention by visiting the mosque wearing a black 'Shayla,' a scarf worn by women in Islamic regions over their heads. On this day, President Yoon wrote in the guestbook, "With the spirit of inclusion and harmony, the Republic of Korea and the UAE will firmly cooperate for world peace and prosperity."

Earlier, President Yoon visited the UAE National Cemetery, 'Wahat Al Karama,' where he reviewed the honor guard and then observed a moment of silence and laid a wreath. In the guestbook at the cemetery, he wrote, "I pay tribute to the heroes who dedicated themselves to the nation and world peace," and "The United Arab Emirates Federation begins right here."