According to the 2005 census, Christians accounted for 9 percent of the total population of the United Arab Emirates; estimates in 2010 suggested a figure of 12.6%.[1]
The government recognises various Christian denominations.[2] Christians are free to worship and wear religious clothing, if applicable. The country has Catholic, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox along with Protestant churches.[3] Although Christian women can marry Muslim men freely, marriage between Muslim women and non-Muslim men is forbidden.[4]
The importation and sale of religious material is allowed; however, attempts to spread Christianity among Muslims are not permitted. Customs authorities review the content of imported religious materials and will occasionally confiscate some of them.[1] Conversion from Islam is discouraged.[1] In spite of this, a 2015 study estimated some 200 believers in Christ from a Muslim background, though not all of those are necessarily citizens of the UAE.[5]
Christmas items are sold in the country and noted in the media; in 2022 the UAE President and Vice President wished everyone a Merry Christmas on social media.[1]
History
In pre-Islamic times, the population of Eastern Arabia consisted of Christianized Arabs (including Abd al-Qays) and Assyrian Christians among other religions.[6]Syriac functioned as a liturgical language.[7][8] Serjeant states that the Baharna may be the Arabized descendants of converts from the original population of Christians (Aramaeans), among other religions at the time of Arab conquests.[9] Beth Qatraye which translates "region of the Qataris" in Syriac was the Christian name used for the region encompassing north-eastern Arabia.[10][11] It included Bahrain, Tarout Island, Al-Khatt, Al-Hasa, and Qatar.[12] Oman and the United Arab Emirates comprised the diocese known as Beth Mazunaye. The name was derived from 'Mazun', the Persian name for Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Sohar was the central city of the diocese.[10][12] In 2014, 25% of the Dubai residents were Christians.[13]
Eastern Orthodox Christians in UAE traditionally belong to the jurisdiction of Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. Eastern Orthodox parishes in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were organized in 1980 by late Metropolitan Constantine Papastephanou of Baghdad and Kuwait (1969–2014), who also had ecclesiastical jurisdiction over Eastern Orthodox in UAE.[16] Since 1989, parish in Abu Dhabi was administered by priest Stephanos Neaimeh. After the retirement of Metropolitan Constantine in 2014, the Holy Synod of Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch decided to establish an Exarchate for Eastern Orthodox in UAE. In the same time, auxiliary Bishop Gregorios Khoury was appointed head of the newly established Exarchate, subjected directly to Patriarch John X of Antioch who personally visited UAE in the spring of 2014 and inaugurated the construction of new Eastern Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Elias in Abu Dhabi.[citation needed]
Oriental Orthodoxy
St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church in Jebel Ali, Dubai Saint Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church in Sharjah
Sharjah houses a church district in Al Yarmook Area which includes places of worship for Coptics, Armenians, Keralites, Filipinos, etc. Since 2006 there are also an independent Afrikaans Churches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Most of the members ad here from the Afrikaans speaking Reformed and Evangelical Churches in South Africa.
In Sharjah, the Assyrian Church of the East has a church building, the Mart Mariam Church. The church has operated since 2005, and is jointly shared with St. Thomas Christians with an attendance of more than 300.[18]
On April 5, 2020, church presidentRussell M. Nelson announced that the government of the United Arab Emirates had invited the church to construct a temple in Dubai.[22] According to the church, the temple will be constructed in District 2020 after Expo 2020 has concluded.[23]
^Russell, Malcolm B. (2014). The Middle East and South Asia 2014. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 192–193. ISBN9780521889520. More than 56% of Dubai residents are Muslims, 25% of the population is Christian and 16% is Hindu. 2% of the population of Dubai has a different religion.
