DUBAI: Catholics in the UAE and around the Gulf are waiting expectantly for the touchdown of Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi on Sunday night — the first time a pontiff from the Church of Rome has set foot on the Arabian peninsula.
The visit coincides with a trip to the UAE by Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar in Cairo. It will be the first time two such senior leaders of Islam and Catholicism have met.
The historic papal visit is the first in a series of events to mark 2019 as the “year of tolerance” in the UAE. Francis will take part in the Human Fraternity Meeting in Abu Dhabi, where he will meet other leaders of the world’s great religions, “reflecting the values of brotherhood, love and peaceful dialogue,” the organizers said.
The highlight of the visit will be an open-air service in Abu Dhabi, where the pope will celebrate mass before a crowd estimated at 140,000 watching in the Zayed Sports City Stadium and outside on giant TV screens.
Hundreds of coaches will leave Dubai on Monday evening with worshippers hoping to catch a glimpse of the Pope in Abu Dhabi, in what one observer described as a “Christian pilgrimage” in Arabia.
Leaders of other religions in Abu Dhabi include a representative of the Jewish community, and many Catholic expatriates living in Saudi Arabia are also expected to fly to the UAE for the historic event.
Raad Jaboouri Al-Sheikh, an Iraqi Catholic who has lived in the UAE for 17 years, told Arab News: “It is an amazing thing. I never expected to see this. He has visited other parts of the world where there are many more Catholics, so it is an honor he is coming to see us.”
Catholics in UAE await arrival of Pope Francis
Catholics in UAE await arrival of Pope Francis
- The historic papal visit is the first in a series of events to mark 2019 as the “year of tolerance” in the UAE
- The visit coincides with a trip to the UAE by Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, grand imam of Al-Azhar in Cairo
Syrian authorities repair Deir Ezzor airport runway to prepare for resuming flights
- Airport has been out of service for more than a decade because of civil war
LONDON: Syrian authorities are repairing key infrastructure at Deir Ezzor Civil Airport ahead of flights being resumed. Government forces have been in control of northeastern Syria since January.
Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced on Monday that technical and engineering teams are repairing the runway, essential facilities, and rebuilding the airport’s perimeter fence to meet international safety and security standards.
The airport has been out of service for more than a decade due to the civil war in the country, which damaged infrastructure, including several bridges in northeastern Syria, where towns are next to the Euphrates River.
The Syrian government regained control over the region from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces through an agreement in January that established a ceasefire and outlined a phased integration of military and administrative structures.
On Sunday, Syrian authorities took over security responsibilities at Qamishli airport in Hasaka Province, northeastern Syria, as part of the agreement with the SDF.
