Pope holds first-ever papal Mass in Gulf

ABU DHABI

Pope Francis held a Mass in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, the first-ever papal Mass in the Gulf region.

Thousands of people attended the Mass at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City Stadium, according to the official WAM news agency.

On Sunday, the pope arrived in Abu Dhabi on a three-day visit, the first of its kind by the head of the Catholic Church in the Gulf.

On Monday, the Catholic pope signed a document aimed at promoting fraternity with Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Egypt-based Al-Azhar, the highest seat of learning in the Sunni Muslim world.

The pope’s visit reportedly comes at an invitation from Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and the Catholic Church in the UAE.