Pope Francis completed his landmark visit to the UAE on Tuesday, with an open-air Mass for 150,000 people, before returning to Rome.
The first visit by a sitting pontiff to the Gulf focused on ongoing, interreligious dialogue at a time when religiously-fuelled tensions have caused problems across the world.
Here are the best moments from a memorable trip:
The signing of the Human Fraternity Document
The capital's Founder's Memorial on Monday, which is dedicated to founding President Sheikh Zayed, witnessed an important moment in Christian-Muslim relations when Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, Islam's most prestigious seat of learning, signed a historic declaration of fraternity.
Watched by a global audience of religious leaders from Christianity, Islam, Judaism and other faiths, they unveiled a document calling for peace between nations, religions and races. It is valuable sentiment in a region that has been wracked by years of war.
The document also pledges that the Vatican and Al Azhar will work together to fight extremism, and includes sections on the need to uphold equal rights, women’s rights, freedom of belief and relations between the East and the West.
Choir sing hymns in multiple languages during papal Mass
Assembled from 120 singers from churches across the Emirates specially for the event, a multinational choir sang together for the first time at the Papal Mass on Tuesday — a daunting task for even the most hardened chorister, but their rapturous sounds hit the right note.
With the Mass — the first of its kind in the Gulf — broadcast across the Arab world, the event was a momentous occasion that united disparate communities. Rarely was that more succinctly represented than in the choir, with members representing the many nationalities, from Filipino to Indian, that make up the UAE's one-million-strong Catholic community, all singing together with one voice.
Pope urges world to reject the word ‘war’
Following the signing of the Human Fraternity Document, Pope Francis gave a speech calling on the world's great religions to reject armed conflict and any approval for the word 'war'.
He said the world will either build the future together "or there will be no future”.
"Let us return it to its miserable crudeness. Its fateful consequences are before our eyes. I am thinking in particular of Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Libya," he said.
“The time has come for religions to more actively exert themselves, with courage and audacity and without pretence, to help the human family deepen the capacity for reconciliation, the vision of hope and the concrete paths of peace.”
Pope Francis visits the Grand Mosque
Pope Francis had a busy day on Monday, also visiting the capital's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. During the visit, also broadcast across the Arab world, he met with the Muslim Council of Elders. The visit to a sacred place for Muslims sends a message of peace regardless of religion, culture or identity.
Little girl hand delivers letter to Pope
As the Pope arrived to crowds of adoring followers for his much-awaited Mass, a small girl, with streams of joyful tears running down her face, escaped security and ran up to his white G-Wagen. The pontiff stopped the car and blessed the little girl, who gave him a letter. It was a touching moment symbolising the importance of this visit to many of the UAE's faithful and the Pope's connection with his devoted followers.
Pope Francis and Sheikh Mohamed exchange gifts
Marking the 800th anniversary of the meeting between St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil of Egypt in 1219, the pontiff presented Sheikh Mohamed with a framed medallion. It depicted a famed meeting between the two key figures in Islam and Christianity where they supposedly discussed how to achieve peace. The imagery highlights the purpose and legacy of the trip — human fraternity and dialogue.
In return, Pope Francis was presented with a leather box containing a document issued on 22 June 1963 by the late Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan, then Ruler of Abu Dhabi. It grants a plot of land on the western side of the city to St Joseph's Catholic Church, which the Pope visited on Tuesday morning, although it has moved locations since then.
A new church and mosque are to be built
With Pope Francis having said prior to his trip that it was his mission to help establish more churches, two new places of worship are to be built in Abu Dhabi in celebration of inter-faith relations.
Few details have been released, but they will be named the Church of Saint Francis and the Mosque of Grand Imam Ahmad Al Tayeb. Pope Francis, Dr Al Tayeb and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed signed the foundation stones.
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EXPATS
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
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How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
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The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now