Missile Strikes Halt Good Friday Services in Dubai
For the first time in living memory, thousands of Catholics in Dubai will observe Good Friday without physically setting foot in church, as two of the emirate’s major parishes shut their doors indefinitely amid escalating missile and drone strikes tied to the broader Middle East war.
The closures took effect on Friday, April 3, with parishioners advised not to visit the churches in the interest of safety and community well-being. The timing is particularly significant: Easter, one of the most sacred seasons in the Christian calendar, falls this year on Sunday, April 5, and Dubai’s Catholic churches regularly attract thousands of worshippers over Easter and Christmas, with crowds outside the buildings listening to services through speakers.
St Francis of Assisi Church at Jebel Ali in Dubai announced the cancellations on its website, citing instructions from government regulatory authorities. “All Masses at our Church are cancelled until further notice,” the church stated, adding that “parishioners are requested to refrain from visiting the Church premises, in the interest of safety and community well-being.”
St Mary’s Catholic Church in Dubai issued a corresponding notice, confirming that Good Friday’s mass would be live-streamed on the church’s YouTube channel instead of being held in person.
The Jebel Ali coastal area, where St Francis of Assisi is located, has been among the areas most exposed to the regional hostilities. Since February 28, the UAE has been under attack from Iranian missiles and drones, launched in retaliation for the Israeli-US military offensive that began that day. The strikes have hit multiple locations across Gulf states neighbouring the UAE.
The Catholic cancellations are part of a broader suspension of religious gatherings across faiths in Dubai. Several churches, including St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral and St. Mina Dubai Church, have confirmed that their in-person services have been suspended.
The Baps Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi also announced closure, and the Sikh gurdwara in Dubai shut its doors, with the management citing “prevailing circumstances and complete solidarity with the wise directives and sentiments of the UAE government.”
The suspension extends to the highest levels of Catholic authority in the region. The Vatican’s Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia announced the suspension of all church activities following explosions in parts of Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, appealing to the faithful to remain calm and follow civil authorities’ instructions.
Bishop Paolo Martinelli, apostolic vicar of Southern Arabia, urged parishioners to stay calm, adhere to civil instructions, and pray daily for peace across the region.
The developments underscore how sharply the regional war has intruded on civilian and religious life across the Gulf, with the conflict, now well into its second month, showing few signs of abating. Attacks have increasingly focused on economic and industrial sites, raising concerns about disruptions to global energy supplies and widening the war’s impact beyond the battlefield.