Red carpet welcome

It was a historic moment for the Arabian Gulf as Al Italia’s Boeing B777 touched down on the runway at the Presidential Airport in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from Rome shortly before 10 pm on Sunday. Onboard was Pope Francis, the first pontiff to visit a Gulf Arab country in the Vatican’s long history.

There was a wait, presumably as those onboard readied themselves for the moment that Christians in the UAE and the wider Gulf region have been waiting for since the visit was announced in December 2019. Arabic news channels showed images from inside the plane as the Pope met members of the world’s press.

As he stepped out of the plane through a jet bridge he was met by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.