A History of Churches in Dubai
Freedom of worship can be translated in many forms. Dubai, a city that sits on the coastal shores of the Arabian Gulf, is known historically for its waterways and maritime routes, acting as a crossroad of trade. This enabled the city to first-handedly experience the need to foster communities that upheld religious acceptance and diversity.
Historically, Christian communities moved to different Gulf countries, including the UAE.1 Following the pivotal shifts in Dubai’s economic landscape in the 1930s, the early stages of the oil industry started to take shape, which led to an increase in labor moving to the Gulf from British India.2 In the 1960s, with the discovery of oil,3 the number of expatriates increased as Dubai launched its first urban plan.4 Evangelical Christian expatriates convened in schools and homes for mass, before the formal existence of churches.5 With the direction of Dubai’s late ruler, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, several churches of many denominations, along with a Catholic school and Christian community centers, were built across the city to provide a permanent and safe environment for worshipers.
This Essay aims to document and trace the presence of the Christian community in Dubai during the pre-oil era with the migration of the early Christian missionaries, in addition to the history of the formation of the church district in Oud Metha. Its findings will stand alongside existing regional academic debates by exploring how religious recognition systems can be understood and fostered by public sector institutions.
THE FIRST CHURCH IN DUBAI
In 1958, the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum became the Ruler of Dubai.6 He hosted regular discussions in his Majlis, a traditional meeting area or assembly, where he received national concerns and discussed various ideas for the development of infrastructure projects with those whose insights he trusted.7 Sheikh Rashid held personal relationships with both citizens and residents and “thoughtfully considered each man’s complaint or opinion.”8 His Majlis helped develop new services that were needed in the fast-transforming coastal city with a growing population.
In the mid-1960s, Major Jack Briggs worked closely with Dubai’s ruler while accompanying him as a “confidant,”9 and was highly respected across the city.10 In 1963, Briggs guided a meeting between Sheikh Rashid and the visionary bishop, Reverend Father Eugenio Mattioli, during his visit to Dubai.11 In 1965, supervised by Reverend Father Eusebius Daveri, the building of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church began construction in Oud Metha, and the “foundation stone of the church” was placed by Sheikh Rashid on March 25, 1966.12
The year after, in 1967, St. Mary’s Catholic Church was inaugurated and blessed by Bishop Irzio Luigi Magliacani, the then-Vicar Apostolic.13 The Church is currently led by Reverend Father Lennie J.A. Connully.14 In a research interview conducted for this Essay, Joanna Fernandes, Vice President of the Parish Council at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Dubai, discussed the importance of having this religious institution in the city, iterating that “prayer indeed can be done anywhere. However, having a community is also essential, […] and having a church in Dubai has catered to the fundamental religious needs of all residing Catholics, as well as visitors” in the city.15
The Church’s structure within what later became the church district in the residential community of Oud Metha is positively distinctive, hosting a welcoming modern exterior and formal interior with a parish hall, communion table, altar, and beautiful stained glass reflecting stories and symbols of the Christian faith. The members of the Church resemble its architectural modesty, communicating in ways that are accessible and practical with regard to the telling of the history of the Church and its communal activities.
ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
A year later, an additional piece of land was given by Sheikh Rashid to build St. Mary’s Catholic School, which was established on August 15, 1968, and was led by Reverend Father Eusebius Daveri.16 Mrs. Lucy Hoadley was appointed as the first Headmistress, who managed the growth of the school that began with only 30 students in a modestly sized classroom and had the support of a small number of teachers.17 In the 1970s, nuns began teaching at St. Mary’s Catholic High School,18 and with time, it developed its curriculum to expand its religious teachings from solely Catholic for Christian students, to adding Islamic Education for Muslims and UAE Social Studies as well.19 In an interview with Rahma Al Nahdi, an Emirati woman who unconventionally attended the high school during the early 1970s, she iterated, “The school respected everyone and did not impose Christianity on Muslim students, instead, the school encouraged students to sing, learn, play, and be themselves.”20 She further shared the role of her educational experience in expanding her understanding of her own faith as a Muslim woman, stating that “…the similarities to me were the importance of dialogue and communicating with others.”21
Today, St. Mary’s Catholic High School follows a British Curriculum, and focuses on a variety of activities including sports.22 Its activities play a big part in its communities’ lived experiences, as it connects Christians to the church, promotes civic engagement, and empowers a sense of unity. The high school also offers a Community Service Programme that includes helping students or school staff on different tasks to promote a healthy environment at school.23
A similar sentiment is carried through in the Church itself, enabling an inclusive community in the Oud Metha district. James Joseph, an administrative member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, outlined the Church’s active services when he told me that “St. Mary’s Catholic Church’s community leaders hold services in different languages to cater to various communities, including the existence of a Parish Council, which is the apex body of the church that oversees all Parish programs under the guidance of the Parish priest.”24 The dedicated programs at the church include a Samaritans Ministry that hosts events with government authorities in the UAE, which mostly involve charity work that encourages empathy towards others.25
BUILDING A CHURCH DISTRICT IN OUD METHA
Sheikh Rashid continued to be involved in the expansion and establishment of these spaces. Researcher Abbas Makki mentioned that Sheikh Rashid “went to the opening of the Roman Catholic Church in Dubai and had coffee there”, actively engaging with the Christian community at the time.26 Embracing religious tolerance, he donated land towards the development of the Holy Trinity Church located in Oud Metha, a busy neighborhood located in the heart of Dubai.27 On March 12, 1970, he placed the foundation stone of the Holy Trinity Church, a Holy communion Inter-Denominational Christian church to serve Anglicans and those originating from Orthodox, Lutheran, and Coptic churches, among others, which was built near St. Mary’s Catholic Church.28, 29 Moreover, in 1971, just a short walk away from St. Mary’s Catholic Church High School, the Al Rashid Al Saleh Private School, the first licensed private school by the Ministry of Education and headed by Catholic nuns, was established in an inclusive and diverse expansion of the district.30 It had 1,500 students and was managed by the Chaldean Sisters-Daughters of Mary Immaculate of Baghdad.31 One of the significant benefits of introducing Emirati Muslim students to such curriculum is to empower tolerance, respect, fostering inter-faith connections and most importantly developing a sense of empathy towards others. The proximity of a Catholic school and an Arabic school on the same street enabled the Oud Metha community to come together and organically embody the district’s ethos of religious tolerance.
In 1972, another plot of land was granted by Sheikh Rashid for the establishment of the St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral Dubai, due to the increase of worshipers migrating to Dubai from India, specifically from Kerala.32 The St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral is associated with the Delhi Diocese of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, serving 3,500 parishioners.33 The Oud Metha church district hosted the new building in 1976 which was “consecrated” by the late H.G. Joseph Mar Pachomios.34
Due to the increase in the number of Christian worshipers in the city of Dubai, the church district in Oud Metha expanded and some church buildings were rebuilt to provide a larger complex and accommodate worshippers. In 1988, St. Mary’s Catholic Church was demolished, and in 1989 a new building was opened by Cardinal Josef Tomko.35 A variety of services were then able to be conducted at the new St. Mary’s Catholic Church complex, which include mass in different languages, child baptism and seminars, as well as marriage preparation courses, among others.36 Moving forward, the Holy Trinity Church served Anglicans in Dubai by conducting services in different languages such as English, Arabic, French, Hindi, Chinese, Tagalog, Greek, and Russian, among others.37 The church was very distinct because it was a community church that appealed to different nationalities and made sure that all segments of the community were content with the church’s services. Today, the compound of the Holy Trinity Church is not dedicated to one church only, rather it is used by many such as the Dubai City Church, which is a “Bible-based, Spirit-filled international church”.38 Another church that uses the Holy Trinity Church complex is St. Mark & Ava Bishoy Coptic Orthodox Church, which conduct Mass in Arabic.39
1990S TO THE PRESENT DAY
The sons of Sheikh Rashid remained committed to allocating more lands for the establishment of churches and to cultivating inter-religious awareness in the city. In 1997, the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the former Deputy Ruler of Dubai, provided a land in Jebel Ali that was used for the construction of the Dubai Evangelical Church Center, which opened on October 24, 2003.40 Their outreach helped establish St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, one of the important churches also in Jebel Ali – an industrial area, port town, and commerce hub in the southwest of Dubai. It was blessed by Parish Priest Reverend Father Daniel Cerofolini who laid the foundation stone in 2000, and the church itself was consecrated in 2001.41 Additionally, in 2003, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum granted land to establish the St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church, which attained its completion certificate in 2008, to serve Egyptian Christians from Coptic congregations living in the UAE.42 As a denomination, the Coptic Church, headed by the Pope of Alexandria, is a member of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), and is based on St. Mark’s lessons, the Evangelist who introduced Egypt to Christianity in the first century.43 Today, the St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church in Jebel Ali provides Bible studies that encourage children to learn from religious stories, and offers varying family services to the community.44
The Churches in Jebel Ali are considered urban churches with growing congregations that have had a significant impact through their active outreach ministries. These ministries have reached out to Christian youth groups and families by encouraging them to participate in services that are translated to many languages, learning groups, and lectures. This has enabled churches to build cross-generational relationships, understand the story of the Holy Bible, feel empathy towards others, and empower positive dialogue across the country.
While this Essay attempts to reconstruct a chronological history of churches in Dubai and Christian worship spaces, by no means is it a comprehensive account. It does, however, hope to create a departure point for further archival and historical research on the issue through the veneer of the city’s Christian community, through its lived experience, and its historical artifacts that form the basis of that period’s collective memory.
The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author, and do not represent Fiker Institute.
