Pope Francis set for historic Arabian Peninsula visit in ‘year of tolerance’

He will head to Abu Dhabi on Sunday as part of efforts to strengthen ties between the two largest religions Islam and Catholicism

While there were no plans to visit to other Gulf countries, his UAE visit is widely seen as a gateway for more interreligious dialogue in the region

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Pope Francis looks on as he leads a Holy Mass to mark the 52nd World Day of Peace on January 1. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:06pm, 1 Feb 2019Updated: 8:13pm, 1 Feb 2019

Pope Francis is set for a historic trip to the United Arab Emirates, the first ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula, as he seeks to boost the Vatican’s outreach to Islam.

The Argentine pontiff’s trip to the United Arab Emirates “couldn’t have come at a better time”, said Bishop Paul Hinder of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia – which encompasses the UAE, Oman and Yemen.

“With advanced communication tools at everyone’s disposal, we are better informed, and this can be put into a broader perspective when we couple it with dialogue,” he said.

Pope Francis, who has made strengthening ties between the two largest religions a cornerstone of his papacy, will head to Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Expat worshippers pray during the mass at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Jebel Ali, as Catholics in the Gulf are awaiting a historical visit by Pope Francis to United Arab Emirates. Photo: Reuters

During his three-day visit, the pope will take part in an international interfaith conference and meet Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the imam of Cairo’s Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam’s most prestigious seat of learning.

While there were no plans “at the moment” for a papal visit to other Gulf countries, according to Hinder, the pope’s trip to the UAE is widely seen as a gateway for more interreligious dialogue in the region.