St. Joseph’s Cathedral

St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Al Mushrif is the historic centre of Roman Catholic life in Abu Dhabi and the cathedral of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. The parish’s official history records that Sheikh Shakbut granted land on the Corniche in 1963, construction began that October, and Abu Dhabi’s first Catholic church was inaugurated on 19 February 1965.

Abu Dhabi became the See of the Apostolic Vicar of Arabia in 1974. After new land in Al Mushrif was granted in 1977 on the instruction of Sheikh Zayed, the foundation stone for the present church was laid in March 1981 and the building was consecrated on 25 February 1983. The cathedral remains an active Catholic parish with Mass, the sacraments, catechesis and personal prayer.

Its modern history also includes the visit of Pope Francis on 5 February 2019 during the first papal visit to the UAE; the same day, he celebrated the country’s first papal Mass at Zayed Sports City. The cathedral stands on 17th Street in Al Mushrif, near Airport Road. No apparition, miracle or healing tradition is asserted in the authoritative institutional history reviewed; its significance is historical, ecclesiastical and pastoral.