STAND WITHABRAHAM العربية

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Culture and interfaith

What has happened since 2020, with sources. Figures show change over time, not cause.

Draft, under review: this content has not yet been approved for publication.

Overview

The UAE's interfaith work predates the Accords: the Document on Human Fraternity was signed in Abu Dhabi in February 2019. Since 2020 it has gained landmarks, including the first Holocaust memorial exhibition in the Gulf, which opened in Dubai in May 2021, and the Abrahamic Family House (a mosque, a church and a synagogue), which opened in 2023 and had welcomed 600,000 worshippers and visitors by February 2025.

Cultural links with Israel include the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra's first UAE performance in 2022, football and padel exchanges and the UAE Embassy's annual iftars in Israel. Morocco highlights its Jewish heritage, including in school lessons, and has the largest Jewish community among the Arab Accords states.

Key numbers

600,000Abrahamic Family House worshippers and visitors since openingFeb 2025 [1]
c. 1,000Jews living in the UAE (WJC estimate)current page [2]
c. 50Jews in Bahrain (WJC)current page [3]
c. 2,100Jews in Morocco (WJC)2020 [4]
4th in 2026UAE Embassy in Israel iftars held2026 [5]

Timeline

  1. Document on Human Fraternity signed in Abu Dhabi (pre-Accords context). [6]

  2. Morocco announces Jewish history and culture in school lessons. [7]⚑

  3. First International Day of Human Fraternity (UN resolution 75/200). [8]

  4. 'We Remember', the first Holocaust exhibition in the Gulf, opens at Dubai's Crossroads of Civilisations Museum. [9]

  5. Israel Philharmonic Orchestra gives its first UAE performance, in Abu Dhabi. [5]

  6. Negev Forum framework includes celebrating the region's cultural and religious heritage. [10]

  7. UAE announces Holocaust teaching in schools. [11]

  8. Abrahamic Family House inaugurated in Abu Dhabi; opens to visitors 1 March 2023. [12]

  9. Abrahamic Family House marks its second anniversary with 600,000 visitors and a partnership with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy. [1]

  10. UAE Embassy in Israel holds its fourth iftar. [5]

Country highlights

UAE

Abrahamic Family House; Holocaust exhibition in Dubai; film, heritage and sport cooperation with Israel. [12][9][5]

Bahrain

Small Jewish community of about 50 (WJC). Accords-era cultural programmes: Data in progress. [3]

Morocco

Jewish heritage in school lessons; about 2,100 Jews (WJC); the Joint Declaration notes the King's ties with Moroccan Jews, including in Israel. [7]⚑[4][13]

Sudan

Data in progress

Israel

Israel Philharmonic in Abu Dhabi (2022); Yad Vashem supports UAE Holocaust education. [5][11]

Kazakhstan

Data in progress. Kazakhstan announced it would join the Accords in November 2025; it has had relations with Israel since 1992. No sector-specific cooperation sourced yet. [14][15]

Flagship projects

Abrahamic Family House

Mosque, church and synagogue on one site, inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity.

Partners
Abu Dhabi government
Date
Inaugurated Feb 2023
Status
Open; 600,000 visitors by Feb 2025

[12][1]

'We Remember' Holocaust exhibition

Holocaust memorial exhibition, including a section on Muslims who saved Jews.

Partners
Crossroads of Civilisations Museum (private), Dubai
Date
26 May 2021
Status
Opened

[9]

International Day of Human Fraternity

Annual UN day on 4 February.

Partners
UN General Assembly (resolution 75/200)
Date
First marked 2021
Status
Annual

[8]

UAE–Israel sport exchange

Football association cooperation and Abraham Accords Padel Games at Expo 2020.

Partners
UAE and Israeli football associations
Date
2021–22
Status
Reported by UAE MOFA

[5]

Abrahamic Family House Fellowship

One scholar a year in interfaith studies and diplomacy.

Partners
Abrahamic Family House; Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy
Date
Feb 2025
Status
Announced

[1]

Challenges

  • Visitor numbers are available only for the Abrahamic Family House; other cultural exchanges are not counted officially. [1]
  • Bahrain-specific Accords cultural programmes could not be sourced.

What to watch

  • Abrahamic Family House third-anniversary figures (Feb 2026 onward).
  • International Day of Human Fraternity events each 4 February.
  • Progress of Holocaust education in UAE schools.

Sources

  1. WAM, 17 Feb 2025: Abrahamic Family House second anniversary
  2. World Jewish Congress: UAE
  3. World Jewish Congress: Bahrain
  4. World Jewish Congress: Morocco
  5. UAE MOFA: Israel–UAE relationship
  6. Document on Human Fraternity (Holy See)
  7. Times of Israel, Dec 2020: Moroccan schools to teach Jewish history link being re-checked
  8. UN: International Day of Human Fraternity
  9. The National, 27 May 2021: 'We Remember' exhibition opens in Dubai
  10. Negev Forum Regional Cooperation Framework (UAE MOFA)
  11. The National, 9 Jan 2023: Holocaust teaching in UAE schools
  12. Abu Dhabi Media Office, 17 Feb 2023
  13. Morocco–Israel Joint Declaration text (Jewish Virtual Library)
  14. US Embassy in Kazakhstan: A New Era in U.S.–Kazakhstan Relations (Nov 2025)
  15. NPR / AP, 7 Nov 2025

Sources checked on 27 Oct 2026. Figures show change over time, not cause. ⚑ marks a link being re-checked.