VATICAN CITY // A UAE delegation met Pope Benedict XVI yesterday in the highest-level visit to the Vatican by Emirati officials since the establishment of diplomatic relations with the city state last year.
Abdul Aziz al Ghurair, the speaker of the Federal National Council, who led the delegation, told Pope Benedict, leader of the world's Roman Catholic Christians, the UAE was committed to religious freedom.
"I told His Holiness that the UAE is based on religious tolerance and that we pay great respect to all religious symbols and figures," said Mr Ghurair. "People from more than 200 nationalities live in the UAE and I said that we don't discriminate between religions."
The Vatican and the UAE established diplomatic ties at ambassadorial level in June 2007. The Government is expected to appoint an ambassador soon.
Mr Ghurair told the pope the UAE embraced peace between all nations and religions and the two men discussed building churches in the country, and the UAE's efforts to ensure this could be done.
When Mr Ghurair told Pope Benedict that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, had given land this month for construction of a church for the Marthoma Christian community in Al Ain, the pope said he knew of the donation.
"I am aware of the construction of churches in the Emirates," the pontiff said. "I respect the efforts of your leadership to promote tolerance."
"I was surprised that he knew about everything I told him about the UAE," Mr Ghurair said.
The few Roman Catholic churches in the UAE are often overcrowded. They have to hold many services in different languages to accommodate the large numbers of Catholic faithful, mainly from the Philippines, India, the Middle East and western Europe, who wish to attend weekly worship. On major Christian feast days, thousands of worshippers have to listen to services from outside.
Mr Ghurair said he told the pope the UAE wanted to establish a strong relationship with the Vatican and to enhance civil and religious contacts. "We expect this relationship to materialise soon," he added.
At present, Archbishop Mounged el Hachem is the Vatican's nuncio or envoy to the country. He resides in Kuwait where he also represents the Vatican.
The UAE delegation's visit comes against the backdrop of a region-wide commitment to interfaith dialogue.
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia last year became the first Saudi monarch to hold talks at the Vatican when he met Pope Benedict in a move criticised by some Saudis. Commentators said the meeting was hugely symbolic and particularly important to those who believed there should be greater dialogue between Islam and Christianity.
King Abdullah convened Muslim, Christian and Jewish clerics in Madrid in July for talks on reducing religious intolerance. The UAE was represented at the forum.
At an interfaith conference at Yale University in July, religious and political leaders warned that much needed to be done to reach accord between the two faiths. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan warned that Muslims and Christians often mistrusted, disrespected and disliked one another.
"Sixty per cent of Christians harbour prejudice against Muslims, and 30 per cent of Muslims reciprocate," he said, citing an international Gallup survey.
The last UAE official to meet the pope was the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, the nation's founder, who met Pope John Paul II unofficially nearly two decades ago, according to Italian officials.
Mr Ghurair also met Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state, who welcomed the Emirati delegation to the Vatican.
Cardinal Bertone said the UAE was a model for co-existence among various religions, adding that dialogue between faiths was possible and that extremists only constituted a limited number of followers of religious faiths.
He also reiterated the importance of paying respect to religious figures and symbols, saying the action of a Danish cartoonist who portrayed the Prophet Mohammed in a manner that caused offence to Muslims could not be considered a case that should be protected by press freedoms.
Paolo Dionisi, Italy's ambassador to the UAE, accompanied the UAE delegation, which also included Dr Mohammed al Mazrouei, the secretary general of the FNC.
Mr Ghurair is heading an FNC delegation to a number of European countries including Italy, Spain and Poland. He is scheduled to meet senior officials, including presidents and prime ministers.
The visit to Italy comes only a few days after Franco Frattini, the Italian foreign minister, visited Abu Dhabi and met his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
mhabboush@thenational.ae
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Company%20Profile
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
Chelsea 2 Burnley 3
Chelsea Morata (69'), Luiz (88')
Burnley Vokes (24', 43'), Ward (39')
Red cards Cahill, Fabregas (Chelsea)
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group F
Manchester City v Hoffenheim, midnight (Wednesday, UAE)
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:
Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')
Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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