For travelers and expats

English-Speaking Churches in Dubai

Dubai, a global city with a very large expatriate population, has a surprisingly vibrant Christian life. While the United Arab Emirates is a Muslim country, it permits Christian worship, and designated church compounds host Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and many Protestant and evangelical congregations serving worshippers from around the world in English and many other languages. If you are an expatriate or visitor, you are welcome to find a church and join in.

Christian worship in Dubai

The United Arab Emirates is a Muslim country, and Islam is the state religion, but the country permits Christians to worship, and Dubai and the neighboring emirates have long provided land for churches. On designated church compounds you will find Catholic parishes, Orthodox churches, Anglican and other Protestant congregations, and a great many evangelical and Pentecostal fellowships, serving the enormous international workforce. Because Dubai draws people from every continent, its churches are strikingly diverse, with services in English, Arabic, Tagalog, Malayalam, and many more languages.

To worship here is to glimpse the global church in one place: believers from the Philippines, India, Africa, Europe, and the Americas gathering together far from their home countries.

Finding a church near you

The usual way to find a church in Dubai is to look for the recognized church compounds and congregations and check their English service times. Please be mindful of local law and custom, which welcome private Christian worship on church grounds. Wherever you are from, you will likely find others who share your language and your faith.

If you are seeking here

If you are working or living in Dubai and quietly wondering about Jesus, you are not alone, and you are welcome. Faith is not a nationality or a family tradition you are locked into or out of; it begins wherever one person turns to Christ and asks. You can start today by reading a Gospel, by praying honestly in your own words, and by finding a community that follows Jesus near you.

Frequently asked questions

Are there churches in Dubai?

Yes. Although the United Arab Emirates is a Muslim country, it permits Christian worship, and Dubai has church compounds hosting Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and many Protestant and evangelical congregations serving the large expatriate community.

Can Christians worship freely in Dubai?

The UAE is a Muslim country with Islam as the state religion, but it permits Christians to worship on designated church grounds. Visitors and expatriates are generally welcome to attend, while respecting local law and custom.

What languages are church services in Dubai?

Because Dubai draws workers from around the world, its churches hold services in many languages, including English, Arabic, Tagalog, and Malayalam, reflecting a strikingly international Christian community.