People often ask me whether there’s a Russian church in Dubai, and whether you can take communion, christen a child or simply light a candle here. Yes, you can. There are Orthodox churches in the UAE, and the main one for Russian speakers is the Church of St Philip the Apostle in Sharjah, half an hour’s drive from Dubai without traffic.
Below: where the churches are, how to get there, where to find the schedule, what to wear and how Christmas and Easter are celebrated here. I take service times only from the parish website, and I suggest checking anything that changes before you go.
In short
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Main Russian church | Church of St Philip the Apostle, Sharjah, Al Yarmook |
| Services | Divine Liturgy on Fridays and Sundays at 10:00 (parish schedule for October–December 2026) |
| In Dubai | No Russian church; there is a Greek (Antiochian) parish in Jebel Ali |
| In Abu Dhabi | Russian services on feast days only, at the Church of St Nicholas |
| Getting there | From Dubai by taxi or car; the metro doesn’t reach Sharjah |
| What to wear | Shoulders and knees covered, a headscarf for women |
| Christmas | 7 January, a working day in the UAE |
| Easter 2027 | 2 May |
The Church of St Philip the Apostle in Sharjah
This is the first, and so far the only, church in the UAE built for the Russian Orthodox community. The parish calls itself the Russian Orthodox Parish of St Philip the Apostle in the UAE; its rector is Archimandrite Alexander (Zarkeshev).
The history is short. In 2007 the Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, granted the parish a plot for a five-domed church and a three-storey cultural and educational centre. The foundation stone was laid on 11 September 2008, and construction was completed in August 2011. St Philip was not chosen by chance: according to tradition, he preached in this region in the first century.
The church is easy to recognise: pale walls, blue onion domes and gold crosses. Next to it is the cultural centre with a Sunday school: religious classes for children on Sundays at 12:00, and a children’s literary theatre on Fridays.
The church and its cultural centre, seen from the car park. Photo: Virusism, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Service schedule
According to the schedule on the parish website (checked in October 2026):
- the church is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 to 15:00;
- the Divine Liturgy is on Friday and Sunday at 10:00;
- on other days, prayer services, baptisms and weddings are by appointment only;
- the patronal feast is on 27 November, the day of St Philip the Apostle.
Why Friday? In the UAE the weekend is Saturday and Sunday, and Friday is a short working day for many people, so the parish serves on both Friday and Sunday. Times change on feast days, and the parish itself warns that the schedule may change. So before you go, open the schedule page on prav-church.ae or call the church: the rector’s and the secretary’s contacts are on the website.
The parish website doesn’t state the language of the services. As a rule, churches of the Russian tradition serve in Church Slavonic, while community life (announcements, the school, conversation) is in Russian. If this matters to you, ask the secretary.
Getting there from Dubai
Address: Russian Orthodox Church of St. Philip, Street 26, Al Yarmook, Sharjah. A taxi or a car is easiest: navigation apps find the church by name. The metro doesn’t reach Sharjah.
The main difficulty is the traffic between Dubai and Sharjah. On Friday and Sunday mornings the road is usually clearer than on weekdays, but still leave plenty of time for the 10:00 liturgy. If you’re driving, there’s parking at the church.
If it’s your first time in Sharjah, you can stay on for half a day after the service: my guide to things to do in Sharjah covers the old town, the museums and the waterfronts.
Orthodox services in Abu Dhabi
There is no separate Russian church in Abu Dhabi. According to the parish, services for the capital’s Russian community are held only on feast days, at the Church of St Nicholas, which belongs to the Patriarchate of Antioch. A priest from Sharjah serves, and the choir of St Philip’s sings.
The parish schedule for autumn 2026, for example, lists such services on 4 November (Our Lady of Kazan), 3 December (the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple) and 19 December (St Nicholas). Times and a map link are in the schedule on the parish website; be sure to check before you go.
From Dubai to Abu Dhabi is usually an hour and a half to two hours by car. If you’re going for a feast-day service, you can combine the day with the capital’s main sights: ideas in my article on an Abu Dhabi day trip from Dubai.
Orthodox churches in Dubai
There’s no Russian parish in Dubai, but there are Orthodox churches. The city’s main Christian churches stand in two places: in Oud Metha and in the Jebel Ali church compound.
- The Greek (Antiochian) Orthodox church in Jebel Ali. According to Gulf News, the land was granted by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and services are in Arabic and Greek. Directories give it different names, so search for it as the Greek Orthodox Church in Jebel Ali Village.
- A Romanian Orthodox parish has held services in Romanian since 2021 at the Antiochian Church of the Annunciation in Jebel Ali.
- Don’t confuse them: St. Mary’s in Oud Metha is a Catholic church, not an Orthodox one. Oud Metha and Jebel Ali also have Oriental churches (Coptic, Syriac, Indian Orthodox), but they have their own tradition and language.
Why does the Russian parish of the UAE live in Sharjah, and why are the Abu Dhabi services held in an Antiochian church? The parish website explains that it was founded with the blessing of the Patriarch of Antioch, because the UAE is the canonical territory of the Antiochian Orthodox Church. For a parishioner it means something simple: if you live in Dubai, your church is in Sharjah.
How churches came to the UAE
In the UAE, churches are built on land granted by the rulers of the emirates. It has been that way from the start: Dubai’s first church, the Catholic St. Mary’s, was consecrated on 7 April 1967 on a plot given by the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. The Jebel Ali church compound and St Philip’s in Sharjah came about the same way.
That’s why churches here usually stand in groups, on dedicated plots, with no bells ringing across the neighbourhood. It’s a normal part of local life, which I also talk about in my article on UAE traditions.
The Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi
If you’re interested in faith in the Emirates more broadly, visit the Abrahamic Family House on Saadiyat Island. It’s three buildings in one complex: a mosque, a church and a synagogue. The complex opened to all visitors on 1 March 2023, and entry is free.
The church in the complex is Catholic and there are no Orthodox services there, but the building is worth seeing in itself: a bright hall, wooden pews and a ceiling of wooden slats. Tours in English or Arabic are booked in advance on the complex website; hours and slots change, so check them before you go. Dress modestly, from neck to ankles and elbows; in the mosque and the synagogue women need a headscarf, which you can borrow at the desk by the entrance.
The church at the Abrahamic Family House on Saadiyat Island. Photo: Shiela90, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The complex is in Saadiyat’s Cultural District, next to the Louvre, so it’s easy to combine with Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the museum in one day.
What to wear and how to behave in church
In an Orthodox church in the UAE the rules are the same as at home, plus local modesty:
- clothes: shoulders and knees covered; women traditionally in a headscarf and a skirt or dress, men without a hat;
- leave beachwear at the hotel: shorts, vests and flip-flops won’t do for the church or for the Abrahamic Family House;
- arrive early: for the liturgy it’s best to be there before 10:00, so you have time to light candles and write your prayer notes;
- phone: on silent;
- children: families come to St Philip’s together and children are welcome; there’s a Sunday school for school-age children.
Photos and video
Many people photograph St Philip’s from outside, and that’s fine. Inside, I’d suggest more restraint:
- don’t film during the service;
- don’t photograph parishioners or priests without permission;
- if you’d like to photograph the interior, ask at the church whether you may and when it’s convenient.
In the UAE, photographing people without their consent is taken seriously, and in places of worship even more so.
The great feasts: Christmas and Easter
Christmas is celebrated by the Orthodox on 7 January. In the UAE it’s an ordinary working day, so decide in advance how to fit the service around work or school. Check the parish website in December for the January 2027 Christmas schedule. December in Dubai is full of festivities anyway, including “The Nutcracker” performed by the Bolshoi Ballet at Dubai Opera on 4–6 December.
Easter in 2027 falls on 2 May. Great Lent begins on 15 March. For the great feasts, arrive earlier than usual and plan your transport in advance if the service is at night or early in the morning. The schedule is on the parish website.
Plan: going to a service from Dubai
- A couple of days before, open the schedule on the parish website and choose a Friday or a Sunday.
- In the morning, take a taxi and leave plenty of time to arrive before the 10:00 liturgy.
- After the service, visit the cultural centre next to the church or walk around Sharjah: the old town and the museums are close by.
- If you’re in Abu Dhabi, check the dates of the feast-day services and combine the trip with a day in the capital.
Common mistakes
- Turning up on chance. The church isn’t open every day: on weekdays it’s by appointment only.
- Looking for a Russian church in Dubai. There isn’t one; the nearest Russian church is in Sharjah.
- Mixing up St. Mary’s. St. Mary’s in Oud Metha is Catholic.
- Underestimating traffic. The morning drive to Sharjah can take well over half an hour.
- Arriving in beachwear. Churches and every place of worship in the UAE require modest dress.
More Russian culture in Dubai: The Bolshoi Ballet in Dubai · Dubai Opera guide · Russian-language theatre and stand-up · Concerts by Russian artists · Christmas and New Year shows for kids.
Would you like to visit the church in Sharjah or a feast-day service in Abu Dhabi and see the city at the same time? Message me on WhatsApp: I’ll help with the transfer and a plan for the day.
Practical answers
Frequently asked questions
Is there an Orthodox church in Dubai?
There is no separate Russian Orthodox church in Dubai itself: the Russian parish of the UAE worships at the Church of St Philip the Apostle in neighbouring Sharjah. Dubai does have a Greek (Antiochian) Orthodox parish in the Jebel Ali church compound, but services there are not in Russian.
Where is the Russian church in the UAE?
In Sharjah, in Al Yarmook: Russian Orthodox Church of St. Philip, Street 26, Al Yarmook. It is the church with blue domes and a cultural centre next to it; the parish calls itself the Russian Orthodox Parish of St Philip the Apostle in the UAE.
What time is the service at the Russian church in Sharjah?
According to the parish schedule for October–December 2026, the Divine Liturgy is on Friday and Sunday at 10:00, and on Saturday the church is open from 9:00 to 15:00. Check the schedule on prav-church.ae before you go: times change on feast days.
Are there Russian Orthodox services in Abu Dhabi?
Yes, but only on feast days: a priest from Sharjah serves the Abu Dhabi community at the Antiochian Church of St Nicholas. The parish publishes dates and times in its schedule.
When is Orthodox Easter in 2027?
On 2 May 2027. Orthodox Christmas is on 7 January; in the UAE it is an ordinary working day, so check the times of the Christmas services on the parish website in advance.
What should I wear to an Orthodox church in the UAE?
Modest clothes: shoulders and knees covered, women traditionally in a headscarf and a skirt or dress, men without a hat. Leave shorts and beachwear at the hotel: in the UAE, every place of worship expects modest dress.
