Iraq Prime Minister Dr. Mustafa Al Kadhimi visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (SZGMC) as part of his official visit to the UAE. He was accompanied by Suhail Bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Cabinet member and minister of energy and infrastructure, and a number of senior officials accompanying the Iraqi premier. Al Kadhimi, accompanied by Dr. Yousef Al Obaidli, director-general of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, visited the Sheikh Zayed Tomb and took a tour around the mosque. They were briefed about the mosque's noble message that calls for coexistence, tolerance, and openness to other cultures, inspired by the rich legacy of the nation's late founder. They also learned about SZGM's leading role in highlighting the Islamic culture's true essence and promoting cross-cultural communication worldwide. The visiting guests also learned about the history, components, and esthetic features of Islamic art and architecture manifested in every corner of this grand edifice. At the end of the visit, the Iraqi premier was presented with one of the center's distinctive publications titled "Spaces of Light" displaying the winning photographs in the "Spaces of Light" photography award, annually organized by the center to celebrate the mosque's scenic aesthetics and visual culture. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center under the Ministry of Presidential Affairs is sponsored and followed-up by Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and minister of presidential affairs. It was established to become a leading cultural center and hub that enriches the UAE's intellectual movement stemming from deeply rooted cultural and national values. While it also reflects concepts deeply rooted by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan in the nation's sentiment, which also constitutes an extension of the Islamic religion's preaching and the core values that form UAE's national identity. — WAM
