UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has directed that prayers for rain be held at mosques across the country on Friday, October 9.

Under the directive, the prayers will be performed 30 minutes before Friday prayers.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed called on the public to follow the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad and pray for rain and divine mercy.

The timing of Friday prayers at all UAE mosques was changed to 12.45pm from January 2, 2026. Previously, Friday prayers had been held at 1.15pm in most emirates since 2022, while Sharjah followed a different schedule.

The UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology has also forecast above-average rainfall across the country from October to January, as the UAE enters the cooler and wetter part of the year.

The centre said this year’s El Niño, which is associated with unusually warm surface waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, has been assessed as “very strong” and could indicate increased rainfall.

However, the National Centre of Meteorology warned that periods of heavy rain could also occur if suitable weather conditions develop.