Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, has taken to Twitter to welcome the visit to the UAE by Pope Francis, ArabianBusiness.com reports.
“We welcome Pope Francis to the UAE. This historic visit will deepen the values of tolerance, understanding and interfaith dialogue,” he said. “We are bound by our humanity, our common values and belief in the future of humankind. Welcome to the UAE in this, our year of tolerance.”
Sheikh Mohammed added that for the last five decades the UAE has “been promoting the values of love, security, acceptance, freedom of religion and respect of others.”
On Monday, Pope is scheduled for an official reception event at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi, as well as a visit to the Grand Mosque alongside Dr. Ahmed Al Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar and a ceremony of the concurrent Human Fraternity Meeting at the Founders Memorial.
On Tuesday, the Pope will deliver Mass for an estimated 135,000 people at Zayed Sports City before departing in the evening.
