The Popemobile is being flown to the UAE for the Pope's visit
Pope Francis arrives in Abu Dhabi tonight…
The Popemobile will be flown in from the Vatican to the UAE for the Pope’s historic three-day visit this week, it has been confirmed.
The Popemobile is a specially designed vehicle used by the Catholic Pope during his public appearances. It will enable Pope Francis to be more visible to the public.
The Pope will be chauffeured around in his Popemobile on the day of the Holy Mass on February 5 at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City Stadium, so keep an eye if you want to catch a glimpse of the pontiff as he enters the stadium.
An expected 135,000 Catholics are expected to attend the Papal Mass which has been declared as a public holiday for those attending.
While the Holy Mass is the highlight of the Pope’s visit to the UAE, the primary reason for the Pope’s visit to the UAE will be a private meeting with members of the Muslim Council of Elders, after which the International Interfaith Meeting will take place at the Founder’s Memorial.
ALSO READ: Everything you need to know about Pope Francis’ visit to the UAE
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and ruler of Dubai Tweeted on February ,2 welcoming the Pope to the UAE.
We welcome Pope Francis to the UAE. This historic visit will deepen the values of tolerance, understanding and interfaith dialogue.
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 .
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) February 2, 2019
The Pope has also issued a message to people of the UAE prior to this visit in which he states he is “happy to be able to visit your country, a land that seeks to be a model of coexistence”. In the clip, Pope Francis also describes the UAE as somewhere “where many find a safe place to work and live freely, while respecting diversity’.
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Images: Getty