How many temples will be announced this time?

[Prof]

I am going to guess 12.

4 in the US

8 outside of the US.

Anyone else want to guess?

[ZealouslyStriving]

What is needed to bring it to an even 400... 18 I think.

[bearhoof]

I'm thinking 9. Four in the US including another one in Utah somewhere and one each in Africa, Europe, Asia, S. America and Australia

Edited October 5, 2025 by bearhoof

[Calm]

We need to fill this in for the most recent years, project number for 2025 and then subtract April’s amount.  (AI says 35 for 2023, 32 for 2024, and 15 in April)

So on average 34 temples a year the last 3 years, so 19.

Or just wait an hour or so.

Edited October 5, 2025 by Calm

[bluebell]

He fooled us all.

[Prof]

1 minute ago, bluebell said:

He fooled us all.

Definitely didn't expect that.

I understand the reasoning.

[Calm]

For those of us not watching (I concentrate much better when I speed up the pace, so watch it later)….

What happened?

Edited October 5, 2025 by Calm

[bluebell]

6 minutes ago, Prof said:

Definitely didn't expect that.

I understand the reasoning.

Me too.  New temple announcements are exciting, and sometimes it's more important and wise to focus on the ones that have been announced rather than announce more.

[bluebell]

1 minute ago, Calm said:

For those of us not watching (I concentrate much better when I speed up the pace, so watch it later)….

What happened?

No new temples announced.  Pres. Oaks said that at this time we would focus on the ones that have already been announced and which are currently in progress.

[Calm]

Just now, bluebell said:

Me too.  New temple announcements are exciting, and sometimes it's more important and wise to focus on the ones that have been announced rather than announce more.

So I take it no new ones, just updates?

Added…answered, thanks.

 

Edited October 5, 2025 by Calm

[bluebell]

Just now, Calm said:

So I take it no new ones, just updates?

 

No new temples announced today.   

[Peacefully]

Just now, Calm said:

So I take it no new ones, just updates?

 

He said we need to slow down since there are so many in flight right now. 

[Calm]

10 minutes ago, Peacefully said:

He said we need to slow down since there are so many in flight right now. 

There are 113 announced, but not in construction yet according to the Church’s webpages.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/list?lang=eng

Pure speculation…this is a difference in ‘style’ between Pres Nelson and Pres Oaks, a more methodical or perhaps deliberate approach (not sure what the right word is…cautious isn’t it).

Or they just decided to hold off on ‘new business’ until there is a new President.

Added:  I am going to start laughing if this triggers speculation that the Second Coming is quite near, so the Church isn’t going to invest in more temples than committed to so as to conserve resources.

Edited October 5, 2025 by Calm

[Calm]

Anyone know what the oldest announced only temple is?  Russia was announced in 2018.  That is my guess.

Scanned through the list and looked at ones most likely to drag a bit….Dubai and Shanghai were 2020.

Edited October 5, 2025 by Calm

[Prof]

6 minutes ago, Calm said:

pure speculation…this is a difference in ‘style’ between Pres Nelson and Pres Oaks, a more methodical or perhaps deliberate approach (not sure what the right word is…cautious isn’t it).

Or they just decided to hold off on ‘new business’ until there is a new President.

My thoughts, exactly!

[Duncan]

11 minutes ago, Calm said:

Anyone know what the oldest announced only temple is?  Russia was announced in 2018.  That is my guess.

Scanned through the list and looked at ones most likely to drag a bit….Dubai and Shanghai were 2020.

and the weird thing about the Dubai Temple is they approached the Church, so you'd think they'd be able to get it approved very quickly but for whatever reason that isn't the case

[Calm]

1 minute ago, Duncan said:

and the weird thing about the Dubai Temple is they approached the Church, so you'd think they'd be able to get it approved very quickly but for whatever reason that isn't the case

Different political factions having oversight?

[webbles]

1 hour ago, Calm said:

Anyone know what the oldest announced only temple is?  Russia was announced in 2018.  That is my guess.

Scanned through the list and looked at ones most likely to drag a bit….Dubai and Shanghai were 2020.

Russia is the one.  This site https://churchofjesuschristtemples.org/temples/chronology/ has a section at the very bottom that shows all the temples that are announced but haven't yet had any movement.  It is ordered by the announcement date.

Edited October 5, 2025 by webbles

[ZealouslyStriving]

54 minutes ago, Calm said:

Different political factions having oversight?

Does Dubai have political factions? I thought it was like Saudi Arabia with a ruling family (or few families), just a bit more moderate.

I could be wrong though.

[Calm]

25 minutes ago, ZealouslyStriving said:

Does Dubai have political factions? I thought it was like Saudi Arabia with a ruling family (or few families), just a bit more moderate.

I could be wrong though.

Not official parties, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t divisions…has there ever been a royal family without a power struggle?  Then there are struggles that occur between government departments. Then there’s officials who are ‘sponsored’ by business concerns.

My guess is Dubai is not immune to the usual political struggles even if they might be less public.

——

Chat came up with this list of steps to build  If correct, could there be an issue with finding a licensed construction company that is acceptable?  I would assume the Church would prefer to own the property outright as well.

• You need to purchase a plot in a designated freehold area.

• The land must be zoned for the type of building you plan (villa, residential tower, commercial, etc.).

• All building plans must be approved by the Dubai Municipality (DM) or, if inside a master community, the master developer (like Emaar, Nakheel, or Dubai Properties).

Key approvals required:

1. Land Title Deed (from Dubai Land Department – DLD)

2. Building Permit (from Dubai Municipality)

3. Environmental & Civil Defense approvals

4. Contractor registration (only licensed contractors can build in Dubai)

So, you can’t personally “build” without going through a licensed construction firm.

---

💸 3. Costs and practicalities

• Land price: among the highest in the Gulf — can start from AED 300–1000+ per square foot depending on location.

• Permit and approval fees: typically 1–2% of total project cost.

• Construction costs: roughly AED 500–1,500 per square foot for villas, depending on materials and quality.

• Time frame: 1–2 years for villa-level projects; 3–5 years for larger developments.

Edited October 5, 2025 by Calm

[Calm]

Church ownership…from Chat again

Christian Churches and Property Ownership in Dubai

🕌 1. Legal framework

• The UAE Constitution guarantees freedom of religion (Article 32) as long as it doesn’t conflict with public policy or morals.

• Dubai follows that by formally allowing Christian worship — but under regulated, government-approved conditions.

In practice:

• The ruler (Emir of Dubai) or the Dubai government allocates land to religious groups for places of worship.

• That land is usually leased or granted, not privately owned in the freehold sense.

• The church buildings themselves (structures) are often funded and maintained by the religious community.

So, most churches don’t technically own their land outright, but they control and operate it under long-term government permission.

---

📜 2. How churches get land

• Churches typically apply through the Community Development Authority (CDA) or the Ruler’s Court for a land grant.

• Once approved, the church gets a plot in a designated “church compound” or interfaith area.

• The government often provides land at no cost, as part of its policy to support non-Muslim communities.

For example:

• In Jebel Ali, Dubai designated a “church complex” area where multiple denominations coexist:

  • St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church

  • Christ Church Anglican

  • Mar Thoma Church

  • Coptic Orthodox Church

  • Evangelical and Pentecostal congregations

Each has its own compound or shared space within government-allocated land.

---

🧾 3. Ownership structure

Component	Who owns it	Typical arrangement
Land	Government (Dubai Ruler or Municipality)	Granted or leased to the church
Church building	The church or diocese	Built and maintained by the congregation
Legal title	Often in the name of the church authority, but with government oversight	Subject to use restrictions (worship only, not commercial)

So while churches have effective control and can build, renovate, and manage their property, they can’t freely sell or redevelop it as private property owners could.

 

[Calm]

One of the commenters in response to some speculation had this to say about Dubai:

Quote

I live in what will be the UAE Temple District. There is a lot of speculation about reasons for the delay. It is simply that--speculation. 
Elder Bednar has asked us members in the ME to be extremely circumspect about the Temple and especially to avoid any comments that could be perceived as critical of the UAE government. I would ask all members of the community on this blog to do the same.
The Temple will come. However, it will come when the time is right. In the Middle East, time flows differently. The Church is not sparing any time or effort to establish the proper relationships and respect with the leaders in this region. We need to give them them space to do that privately. Any public criticism of any regional governments will set the project back.

https://ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com/2025/09/new-temple-predictions-september-2025.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com (added a break for easier reading)

I probably should remove my speculation.  Just want to make clear I am not saying it’s worse than anything that can happen anywhere else.  Red tape and random delays flourish everywhere.

[jpv]

Thinking we're moving into a Monson-type era of stability/sustaining rather than the dynamic Hinckley/Nelson eras.