Mosques across the UAE will hold a special prayer for rain this Friday. President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has directed all mosques in the country to perform Salaat Al Istisqaa, the rain prayer, on Friday, October 9, 2026, UAE Moments reports, in coverage attributed to WAM.
When the prayer takes place
The rain prayer will be held 30 minutes before the regular Friday prayer in mosques across all seven emirates. Worshippers are encouraged to arrive early, take part in the prayer and join the supplication for mercy and rainfall.
What Salaat Al Istisqaa is
Salaat Al Istisqaa is a prayer performed when rain is needed. It follows the practice of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and centres on supplication: asking Allah for blessings, mercy and rain. Presidential calls for nationwide rain prayers are a recurring feature of UAE life as the cooler season approaches, bringing communities together in a single act of worship on the same morning.
A seasonal moment, not a weather forecast
The prayer is a religious observance, not a prediction. Rain in the Emirates tends to arrive in scattered, localised bursts through the cooler months, often over the mountains and the east coast first, and a nationwide prayer at the start of October has become a familiar marker that the country is turning towards that season, whatever any single week’s forecast says.
Friday practicalities for residents and visitors
Expect mosques to be busier than usual before Friday prayer, and allow extra time for parking around larger mosques. The call comes in a week when the National Centre of Meteorology has forecast convective clouds building over eastern areas, which you can follow in our Thursday weather outlook. Visitors planning a mosque visit as tourists should note that prayer times are for worshippers; sightseeing visits such as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque run on separate visitor hours, covered in our Abu Dhabi day trip guide and places to visit in Dubai.
FAQs
When are the UAE rain prayers?
On Friday, October 9, 2026, held 30 minutes before the regular Friday prayer in mosques across the country.
Who called for the prayers?
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan directed all mosques nationwide to hold them.
What is Salaat Al Istisqaa?
The special prayer for rain, performed following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), asking Allah for mercy and rainfall.
Do I need to do anything if I am visiting?
No action is needed. Just expect busier mosques before Friday prayer and plan tourist mosque visits for the separate visitor hours.
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