Catholicos Aram I Inaugurates New Armenian Community Center In Abu Dhabi

Catholicos Aram I Inaugurates New Armenian Community Center In Abu Dhabi –

ABU DHABI – A new Armenian Community center was opened in Abu Dhabi on Friday by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development. The community center is situated next to the armenian church. Present at the ceremony was His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia.

Sheikh Nahyan addressed the congregation, saying he hoped the place of worship would help serve the needs of the Armenian community in the capital and the wider UAE.

“This building underscores that the UAE, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has always been and continues to be a country whose people embrace Islam, the religion that preaches tolerance and respect for other faiths — values which constitute the basic pillars of our country and created the fertile ground where all people live in coexistence, peace and security,” said Sheikh Nahyan.

“The church is a spiritual symbol for the power of belonging and loyalty of the members of the Armenian community and for deepening social and religious interaction.”

Catholicos Aram I of the Holy See of Cilicia appreciated the efforts being made by Sheikh Khalifa for promoting tolerance between different religions and nationalities living in the UAE, according to Wam, the state news agency.

Hassan Youssef Saad, Lebanese ambassador to the UAE, and Gegham Gharibjanian, Armenian ambassador to the UAE, attended the opening, along with Armenian community leaders and hundreds of Armenian Christians.

More than 10 thousand armenians live in United Arab Emirates.