Groundbreaking for the Construction of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Solo

Solo, MINA – Groundbreaking for the construction of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Solo, Central Java was officially held on Saturday.

According to a broadcast from the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Solo will be built using the architectural concept of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is very famous for its beauty.

For the Indonesian version, in addition to replicating almost the entire original design, it will also incorporate distinctive Indonesian ornaments and maximize the use of local Indonesian materials.

The mosque will be built on an area of 11,986.79 m2 in the hometown of President Joko Widodo, precisely on Jalan Ahmad Yani No. 121, Gilingan Village, Banjarsari District, Surakarta City.

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The construction process is targeted to be completed by September 2022 with a capacity of up to 10,000 worshipers.

The Sheikh Zayed Solo Grand Mosque is a symbol of the close friendship between the leaders of the two countries, having previously been given the name President Joko Widodo Street in a strategic location in Abu Dhabi in October 2020.

“In addition to the construction of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Solo, President Joko Widodo Mosque will also be built which is located not far from Jalan President Joko Widodo in Abu Dhabi,” said Indonesian Ambassador to Abu Dhabi Husin Bagis.

The decision to build the mosque was a gift from the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ).

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Apart from being a place of worship, the mosque can also be one of the tourism destinations in Indonesia in the future.

“Enjoying the beauty of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the future can not only be done in Abu Dhabi, but can also be witnessed directly in Solo,” added Husin Bagis.

The mosque groundbreaking event was attended by representing MBZ as the funder for the overall construction of the mosque, the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei and the Head of the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Dr. Mohamed Al Kaabi.

Meanwhile, from the Indonesian side attended the Minister of Religion, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, Minister of BUMN, Erick Tohir, Mayor of Solo, Gibran Rakabuming, and Indonesian Ambassador to Abu Dhabi, Husin Bagis.

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The groundbreaking activity of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the culmination of a series of activities initiated by the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi in collaboration with related Ministries/Agencies in Indonesia and packaged in the event “Indonesia-Emirates Amazing Week (IEAW) 2021” which will take place from 1 to 7 March 2021 .

The IEAW 2021 activity itself contains a series of G to G and B to B activities including the Indonesia-UAE Business Forum on Friday (5/3) in Jakarta, which on this occasion had signed a number of bilateral agreements between various parties from the two countries. (T/RE1)