ABU DHABI - Hadja Lahbib, Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, Foreign Trade and Federal Cultural Institutions, on Saturday visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (SZGM) here.
The Belgian minister and her accompanying delegation began their tour with a visit to the final resting place of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and recalled the Founding Father’s qualities and wise approach that enriched the culture of tolerance and peaceful coexistence among various nations of the world. They were accompanied by Youssef Al Obaidli, the Director General of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre.
The Belgian minister toured the mosque and was briefed about its halls and external corridors.
During the tour, they were briefed about the mosque’s noble message that highlights notions of coexistence, tolerance, and openness to other cultures, inspired by the nation’s late founder’s rich legacy, and about the mosque’s leading role in highlighting the Islamic culture’s true essence and promoting cross-cultural communication worldwide.
At the end of the visit, the guest was presented with two of the Centre’s distinctive publications. The first titled “Spaces of Light,” showcasing the winning photographs in the “Spaces of Light” photography award, annually organised by the Centre in celebration of the scenic aesthetics and visual culture of the mosque, and another copy of a book titled “Houses of God” about places of worship in the Islamic history.