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Shia Islam is practiced by a minority ofMuslims in theUnited Arab Emirates. It is also practiced among expatriate Muslim communities living in the country, most notablyIranians,[1][2] as well as someArabs,Pakistanis,Indians, and other nationalities.[3] Non-Twelver Shia branches such asIsmailis and theDawoodi Bohras are also present in the UAE and account for less than 5% of the total population.[4] Shia nationals are concentrated in the city ofDubai, belonging mostly to the latest (1920s) wave of migrants who managed to obtain citizenship.
The UAE is a Muslim-majority country. Part Seven of theUAE Constitution declaresIslam as the official state religion. InDubai, the government appoints allimams, whether Sunni or Shia, as well as regulating religious sermon content preached in mosques. Shia mosques are designated by the government as private, but are able to apply for government funding upon request. Shia Muslims are grantedfreedom to worship, and maintain their mosques. Shias may also pursue family law cases through a special Shia council.[5] Most Shias are concentrated in the emirates ofAbu Dhabi, Dubai andSharjah.[5]
Shia citizens in the UAE, a section of which are of Iranian origin, have historically been an important segment of the business community, as well as enjoying representation in the UAE's political establishment.[6][7]
In recent years, a small number of Shia Muslim expatriates have been deported from the UAE.[8][9][10] Some Lebanese Shia families in particular have complained of deportation for allegedly harbouring sympathy forHezbollah.[11][12] According to some organizations, the number of such deportees is over 4,000.[13]
There are numerous Shia mosques in the country. Amongst the well-known are theIranian Mosque in Bur Dubai and theIranian Mosque in Satwa.[14] In 2003, theAga Khan announced the opening of the first Ismaili center in the Middle East in Dubai. The land it was built on was donated by then Crown Prince of Dubai, SheikhMohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.[15]
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