Thousands flock to Easter Sunday services in UAE

Large congregation celebrates religious festival at Dubai's oldest church and Abu Dhabi's Abrahamic Family House

Easter Sunday Mass was held at St Mary’s Church in Oud Metha, Dubai. Ruel Pableo for The National

Thousands of worshippers flocked to Easter Sunday services across the UAE.

Christians from all parts of the globe who call the Emirates home came together to mark the religious festival and join calls for a better future in a world divided by bitter conflict and pressing climate change challenges.

People of all faiths have united this year in a show of religious harmony, with Ramadan, Easter and Passover being marked together this year.

While Easter and Passover typically fall at similar times of the year, they only coincide with Ramadan about once every 30 years.

Parishioners turned out at force to pledge their commitment to their faith at Dubai's St Mary's Catholic Church.

The emirate's oldest church was to hold nine Easter Sunday Masses, starting at 5.30am and concluding with a service in Arabic at 9pm.

Abu Dhabi's Abrahamic Family House serves as a symbol of how people of all faiths can be unified.

The multi-faith centre — which houses a mosque, a synagogue and a church — has hosted a number of services in recent days in honour of all the Abrahamic religions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

The Moses ben Maimon Synagogue at the venue on Wednesday hosted its first Passover.

It was the first time in UAE history that a purpose-built synagogue has hosted Passover.

An Easter service was held at the His Holiness Francis Church.

Joyous events have been held all over the world to mark Easter.

Pope Francis led an Easter vigil Mass at St Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican City, on Saturday.

The pontiff, 86, is recovering from bronchitis, for which he spent three days in hospital.