TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsUnited Arab Emirates souvenir shops stock up for pope's visit
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
The sail-shaped icon Burj Al Arab in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Shutterstock/File)
S
ouvenir shops in the United Arab Emirates are stocking up with Christian memorabilia to mark the visit of Pope Francis, who begins the first ever papal tour of the Arabian Peninsula on Sunday.
"I would like to keep some memory of some important events," said UAE resident Sabu Thomas outside one store in Abu Dhabi. "When I saw the mug definitely I wanted to (buy) it."
The main theme of the visit is inter-religious peace.
Read also: 10 must-see attractions in Dubai
The freedom to practice Christianity is not always a given in the Gulf and varies from country to country. In the UAE and Kuwait, Christians may worship in churches and other places with special licenses. Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites, bans the practice of other religions.
