• Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, met Pope Francis during a visit to the Vatican in 2016. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, met Pope Francis during a visit to the Vatican in 2016. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • The Swiss Honour Guard await the arrival of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed at the Apostolic Palace. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    The Swiss Honour Guard await the arrival of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed at the Apostolic Palace. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed with Pope Francis. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed with Pope Francis. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is received by Matteo Renzi, Prime Minister of Italy, at Palazzo Chigi on Thursday. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is received by Matteo Renzi, Prime Minister of Italy, at Palazzo Chigi on Thursday. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • Pope Francis greets Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, CEO and managing director, Mubadala, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Pope Francis greets Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, CEO and managing director, Mubadala, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • Pope Francis with Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Undersecretary of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Pope Francis with Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Undersecretary of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, with the Pope. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, with the Pope. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, with Pope Francis in the Papal Library at the Apostolic Palace. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court – Abu Dhabi
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, with Pope Francis in the Papal Library at the Apostolic Palace. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court – Abu Dhabi
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, back third left, watches as Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, signs a memorandum of understanding with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States. Watching them are Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, back second left, Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, back fourth left, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, CEO and Managing Director, Mubadala, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority, back fifth left, Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Undersecretary of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, back sixth left, and Dr Hessa Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to Spain and Non-Resident Ambassador to the Vatican, back right. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, back third left, watches as Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, signs a memorandum of understanding with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Vatican Secretary for Relations with States. Watching them are Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, back second left, Reem Ibrahim Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, back fourth left, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, CEO and Managing Director, Mubadala, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority, back fifth left, Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Undersecretary of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, back sixth left, and Dr Hessa Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to Spain and Non-Resident Ambassador to the Vatican, back right. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • Pope Francis meets Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Pope Francis meets Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed after a lunch reception at Palazzo Chigi. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed after a lunch reception at Palazzo Chigi. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • A motorcade carrying the UAE delegation led by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed leaves the Apostolic Palace. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    A motorcade carrying the UAE delegation led by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed leaves the Apostolic Palace. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed visits the Vatican museums in the Apostolic Palace. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed visits the Vatican museums in the Apostolic Palace. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed at the Sistine Chapel. With him is Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, CEO and Managing Director, Mubadala, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed at the Sistine Chapel. With him is Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, CEO and Managing Director, Mubadala, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed admires the frescos in the Sistine Chapel at the Apostolic Palace. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed admires the frescos in the Sistine Chapel at the Apostolic Palace. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
  • Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, and Pope Francis exchange gifts at the Vatican. Claudio Peri / Pool Photo via AP
    Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, and Pope Francis exchange gifts at the Vatican. Claudio Peri / Pool Photo via AP
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed with Pope Francis. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed with Pope Francis. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

When Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed met Pope Francis at the Vatican back in 2016 - in pictures


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After the announcement that Pope Francis is to visit the UAE in February, we take a look back at when Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited Vatican City in 2016.

On that occasion he was joined by a host of UAE dignitaries, including Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, CEO and managing director, Mubadala, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority.

The Vatican and UAE have enjoyed diplomatic relations since 2007 and in 2010, the country appointed its first woman ambassador to the Vatican, Hissa Al Otaiba, who remains in the post today.

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Read more:

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SUE%20GRAY'S%20FINDINGS
%3Cp%3E%22Whatever%20the%20initial%20intent%2C%20what%20took%20place%20at%20many%20of%20these%20gatherings%20and%20the%3Cbr%3Eway%20in%20which%20they%20developed%20was%20not%20in%20line%20with%20Covid%20guidance%20at%20the%20time.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22Many%20of%20these%20events%20should%20not%20have%20been%20allowed%20to%20happen.%20It%20is%20also%20the%20case%20that%20some%20of%20the%3Cbr%3Emore%20junior%20civil%20servants%20believed%20that%20their%20involvement%20in%20some%20of%20these%20events%20was%20permitted%20given%20the%20attendance%20of%20senior%20leaders.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22The%20senior%20leadership%20at%20the%20centre%2C%20both%20political%20and%20official%2C%20must%20bear%20responsibility%20for%20this%20culture.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20found%20that%20some%20staff%20had%20witnessed%20or%20been%20subjected%20to%20behaviours%20at%20work%20which%20they%20had%20felt%20concerned%20about%20but%20at%20times%20felt%20unable%20to%20raise%20properly.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%22I%20was%20made%20aware%20of%20multiple%20examples%20of%20a%20lack%20of%20respect%20and%20poor%20treatment%20of%20security%20and%20cleaning%20staff.%20This%20was%20unacceptable.%22%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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