Saudi Arabia enters into agreement with Vatican to build churches for its Christian citizens

SAUDI Arabia has entered into a joint agreement with the Vatican to build churches for Christians living in the country as part of a drive to improve relationships between the major Abrahamic faiths.

This week, an agreement was signed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdel Karim Al-Issa, the secretary general of the Muslim World League and Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue in the Vatican. Apparently, Saudi Arabia’s newfound openness and socio-cultural cooperation with the non-Muslim world is as a result of her desire to reduce dependency on oil resources which is its major economic driver.

According to the agreement, a coordinating joint committee will be established comprising two representatives for both sides to organize future meetings. It was also reported that the meeting of the committee will be held once every year and will be alternated between Rome and a city chosen by the Islamic World League.

At the moment, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the Middle east without a single Christian church. As far back as 1929, Saudi Arabia embraced Islamic Wahhabism, which bans all forms of non-Muslim religious activities.

Cardinal Tauran said that he was pleased by what he described as the beginning of the rapprochement. He added: “It is a sign that the Saudi authorities are now ready to give a new image to the country.”