Abu Dhabi – Mubasher: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation on Wednesday announced Tuesday, 5 February as an official holiday for private sector employees in order to participate in the Papal Mass.
The Papal Mass will take place in Abu Dhabi at the Zayed Stadium during a visit by the head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis to the UAE.
The historic visit to Abu Dhabi will be Pope Francis’s first to any GCC country. He will attend an International Interfaith Meeting, according to state-run Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The visit, which runs from 3 to 5 February, will coincide with a visit of The Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, considered by some Muslims to be the highest authority in Sunni Islamic thought and Islamic jurisprudence.
Both religious leaders will discuss the promotion of human fraternity and world peace.
The event is expected to attract up to 135,000 people from the UAE and neighbouring countries.
Pope Francis and the Grand Imam will also meet the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan for bilateral meetings and discussions, WAM added.
They will also visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Zayed’s tomb.
The visit by Pope Francis comes after the country’s first minister of tolerance Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi visited the Vatican in 2018.
It is worth noting that there are 76 churches in the UAE alongside other places of worship.
