Pope Leo XIV is expected to visit Lebanon this year in what could be his first foreign trip as pontiff.
Patriarch Bechara Rai, the head of Lebanon's Maronite Church, said Pope Leo will travel to Lebanon “by December”. He told Al Arabiya that “preparations are already under way” for the visit.
Pope Leo, the first pontiff from the US, was elected in May after the death of Pope Francis, and has yet to make a papal visit abroad.
Last month he suggested he could visit Turkey when commemorations are held to mark 1,700 years since the First Council of Nicaea. The meeting in the year 325, in what is now Iznik in Turkey, settled key aspects of Christian doctrine.
Pope Francis had been invited to Turkey for the occasion. It is not clear whether a Lebanon visit might be combined with that.
Pope Leo has publicly called for peace in the Middle East and a ceasefire in Gaza after the strip's only Catholic church was bombed by Israel, killing several people.
Lebanon links
An estimated 30 per cent of Lebanon's population are Christians. The Maronite Church is in communion with Rome, and President Joseph Aoun is a Maronite Christian.
After Pope Leo's election, Mr Aoun wished him success in “efforts to spread the message of love and peace throughout the world, and to promote dialogue between different religions and cultures”. The two men met at the Vatican in June.
Pope Leo also expressed solidarity with Lebanon when it marked five years since the Beirut port explosion this month. "The beloved and suffering Lebanon remains at the centre of his prayers," read a message from the Vatican.
Foreign travel has become an essential part of the modern papacy, with masses typically drawing huge crowds. Pope Francis made 47 visits abroad during his 12-year tenure, travelling to 68 countries.
His 2019 visit to the UAE was the first by a pontiff to the Arabian Peninsula. Two years later he made a landmark visit to Mosul in Iraq, visiting areas scarred by ISIS rule.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
