World

Pope Francis arrives on historic visit to UAE

February 4, 2019 5:28 am

Pope Francis has arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), becoming the first pontiff to visit the Arabian peninsula.

The Pope has been invited by Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan to take part in an interfaith conference.

He will hold a Mass on Tuesday that is expected to draw 120,000 people.

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As he left, the Pope highlighted the plight of Yemen’s people whose cry for help “rises up to God”.

“The population is exhausted by the lengthy conflict and a great many children are suffering from hunger, but cannot access food depots,” the Pope said.

Pope Francis has condemned the conflict, in which the UAE is involved as part of a Saudi-led coalition.

Last year, the pontiff appealed to the international community “to avoid a worsening of the already tragic humanitarian situation” in Yemen.