His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, wished Christians across the world on the occasion of Christmas on Monday. He tweeted, “From the UAE, the land founded in the spirit of tolerance, love and coexistence, we congratulate Christians across the world and wish them peace and happiness in celebrating Christmas.”
The UAE is home to over 40 churches — substantially more centres of worship than all the other GCC countries combined. It is estimated that there are over one million Roman Catholics and other Christians in the UAE, most of them guest workers from other countries.
Many christians in the UAE gathered at various churches in the country to celebrate the occasion. Christmas for Christians celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ and different countries celebrate the occasion in diverse ways. Some Christmas traditions are even derived from the pre-Christian era.
The UAE is set to host Pope Francis in February. He will be attending an International Interfaith Meeting on ‘Human Fraternity’, it was announced in Abu Dhabi and the Vatican City earlier in December.
