Vatican expresses solidarity with the UAE over Abu Dhabi terror attack


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The Vatican has expressed its solidarity with the UAE following the recent terrorist attack in Abu Dhabi.

Last week, the UAE capital was struck by two blasts that left three people dead and six injured following an attack carried out by Yemen's rebel group, the Houthis.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, in a phone call with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, said the UAE is a "leading model of global human solidarity", and praised its humanitarian initiatives that "promote peaceful coexistence, tolerance and peace in the whole world", news agency Wam reported.

Cardinal Parolin also offered his sincere condolences to the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Sheikh Abdullah thanked Cardinal Parolin and praised the role the Vatican plays in "serving humanitarian issues and promoting the values of tolerance and coexistence among all peoples".

He said the UAE is keen to grow its relations with the Vatican across various levels.

Relations between the UAE and the Holy See have strengthened considerably since they established diplomatic ties more than a decade ago.

In 2019, Pope Francis travelled to the UAE for a historic three-day trip – the first time a leader of the Roman Catholic Church has visited the Arabian Peninsula.

During the trip, the Pope and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar signed the 'Human Fraternity Document', which called on people across the globe to unite to bring about inter-faith harmony and spread a vital message of peace.

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Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

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Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Updated: January 27, 2022, 11:32 AM