His Holiness Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday evening at 10 pm.
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 were present at the airport to receive the Pope.
His Eminence Dr Ahmad Al Tayyeb arrived in the UAE a day before, and was welcomed personally by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed.
Expressing his happiness over Pope Francis historic visit to the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed said, “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.”
“The UAE has been, and will continue to be, a beacon of tolerance, moderation and coexistence. It will be a key participant in the dialogue of civilisations and cultures, and will continue to oppose intolerance and extremism regardless of its origin, thus embodying the noble human values it believes in as well as the openness and moderation that has always characterised its people”, said His Highness Sheikh Mohamed.
“The visit of His Holiness Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Al Sharif to the UAE was especially significant as it occurs in the year which President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has declared as the Year of Tolerance. It thus affirms that the UAE's role in spreading tolerance transcends local borders, and that the country's pioneering efforts have made it a global destination to launch civil society initiatives in support of the human fraternity,” His Highness Sheikh Mohamed added.
Images Credit: WAM