Under brilliant sunshine, the funeral of Pope Francis was marked by huge crowds, as well as moments of complete silence across Vatican City and Rome that were broken only by the liturgy and spontaneous applause for a much-loved pontiff.
At least 50,000 people gathered in St Peter’s Square, with another 200,000 estimated to be outside. Hundreds of foreign dignitaries and world leaders attended the two-hour funeral Mass, with the UAE represented by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
It was a time for global tensions to be put aside and even temporary reconciliation, as the late Pope would have wished.
French President Emmanuel Macron shook hands with US President Donald Trump, after months of tension between Europe and America. On two metal chairs placed close together in a quiet hall, the US leader met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since their dramatic bust-up in the Oval Office.
A massive security operation, including a no-fly zone over the Italian capital, rooftop snipers and anti-drone technology ensured the service passed without incident. But despite the presence of so many foreign leaders and the formal attire of the red-clad cardinals, the day really belonged to the ordinary members of the Catholic Church.
Many travelled from around the world, calling out their thanks for Pope Francis's life and work. Father Ricardo Camara travelled from Mexico to pay his respects. He said his congregation would forever remember the pontiff for his pursuit of social justice.
"He was a great shepherd. He fought a lot for justice, for the poor, for migrants, for an open church," Father Camara told The National.
Emil Anton, a theologian, woke up at 4am for the funeral. As a Finnish-Iraqi Catholic, he praised Pope Francis’s dedication to the Middle East. “Pope Francis was the first Pope to go to Iraq. This was one of the most important things of his papacy," Mr Anton said.
“His legacy in the Middle East was important, it includes an emphasis on interfaith dialogue, with the declaration of fraternity in the UAE and his meeting with the Ayatollah [Ali Al] Sistani in Iraq, after which a day dedicated to coexistence was declared. His visit in Iraq was a lot of joy and consolation after the hard years”.
Pointing to the huge crowd, Clement Iyam, 30, a Nigerian resident of Italy, said: “This is testimony of a life well-spent. He dedicated his papacy to the poor and the marginalised. We’re all happy to have been part of it.”
Pope Francis’s body had been placed in a simple wooden coffin in St Peter’s Square. Beside it was an icon representing the Virgin Mary and child that is believed to have been painted by St Luke the Evangelist in the first century. It normally hangs in the basilica of St Mary Major, where Pope Francis was buried at his request after the funeral mass.
A homily of the Pope’s life and achievements was read by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, dean of the College of Cardinals. He spoke of the visit of Pope Francis to the UAE in February 2019.
"During his trip to the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis signed a document on human fraternity for world peace and living together, recalling the common fatherhood of God," he said.
Prayers were recited in languages including Arabic, French, Portuguese and Italian. With the Mass concluded, there was a major departure from previous funerals that included an internment inside St Peter’s.
For the first time in more than 100 years, the body of a pope was taken outside the Vatican gates to the Papal Basilica of St Mary Major, in central Rome. In an adapted “popemobile”, the coffin was driven slowly through the streets of the city, passing landmarks that included the Colosseum.
Crowds lined the nearly 4km route, bursting into applause and cheers as the coffin passed.
Pope Francis was laid to rest at a ceremony attended by a small group that, at his request, included some of the poorest and most marginalised in society, including refugees and convicted prisoners.
Pope Francis chose the Basilica of St Mary Major for his devotion to the mother of Jesus, having said that “the Virgin Mary has told me to prepare my tomb”. He prayed in the church after returning from every overseas trip.
In total, Pope Francis is said to have made more than 100 visits to the basilica in his 12 years as pontiff. This was his last.
Abu Dhabi GP weekend schedule
Friday
First practice, 1pm
Second practice, 5pm
Saturday
Final practice, 2pm
Qualifying, 5pm
Sunday
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps), 5.10pm
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
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The specs
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Palestine and Israel - live updates
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
