[2] The mosque was officially opened on 2 February 2000 following a proclamation of the city status of Kota Kinabalu.

The architectural design is based on the Nabawi Mosque, the second holiest site in Islam, in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

[4] The mosque sits on a 14.83-acre (6.00 ha) site at Pasir Road on the shores of Likas Bay, on the South China Sea.

[3] The mosque features an ATM, three madrasas, a palliative care clinic, and – in a joint project with Universiti Malaysia Sabah – a fish farm.

Visitors are required to wear modest clothing; Lonely Planet recommends long trousers and covered arms.