Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi for the first ever Papal visit to the Arab Peninsula
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| Pope Francis visit His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi |
This visit is the first one by a leader of the Roman Catholic Church to the Arabian Peninsula.
He was received at the airport by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and His Eminence Dr Ahmad Al Tayyeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif University and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders.
Children with bouquets of roses also lined up to welcome the Pope.
In preparation of Pope Francis' Papal Mass,
road closures have been announced in Abu Dhabi from 6pm on February 4
until 6pm on February 5.
Around 135,000 people are expected to gather at the Zayed Sports City for the Papal Mass on February 5.
In a statement, Sheikh Mohamed welcomed the visit of Pope Francis and Dr
Ahmad Al Tayyeb to the UAE. Expressing his great happiness, he said
that the visit is especially important in promoting the values of
fraternity, peace and peaceful coexistence. The visit is also
significant because it reinforces ties of friendship and cooperation
between the UAE and the Vatican, he said.
Sheikh Mohamed added that this historic visit to the UAE sends a message
to the whole world that the Arab region, the centre of the three
monotheistic faiths, whose people have lived in harmony and peace for
centuries, is unlike the often invoked image of extremism and terrorism.
Rather, he concluded, the Arab region comprises millions of people who
believe in coexistence and dialogue and renounce violence and extremism
and who are open up to the world and willing to engage with it, Khaleej
Times reports.
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| Pope Francis visit to Abu Dhabi |
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