The reported agreement between Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran (file photo) and Mohammed bin Abdel Karim Al-Issa of the Muslim World League would mark a first in Saudi history

Saudi Arabiahas agreed a deal with the Vatican to build churches for Christian worshippers in the Arab country, it is claimed by MiddleEastern media.

The supposed agreement between Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran andMohammed bin Abdel Karim Al-Issa of the Muslim World League would mark a first in Saudi history.

The cardinal has visited Saudi Arabia this year and met the royal family, urging the Muslim country to treat its citizens equally.

Under the alleged agreement the churches will be built alongside the establishment of a committee to improve relations between the two,Egypt Independent reports.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Vatican. Mail Online has approached Vatican and Saudi authorities for comment.

Saudi Arabia's anti-extremism Etidal centre hosted Cardinal Tauran last month as the crown prince pushes for inter-religious exchange in the ultra-conservative Sunni kingdom.

There are no Christian churches in Saudi Arabia, the only country in the region without one.

The Vatican has previously spoken of its wish to provide the Christian population of Saudi Arabia with the ability to worship.

Saudi leaders have courted a flurry of representatives of various Christian traditions in recent months.In November, the head of Lebanon's Maronite church, Beshara Rai,met King Salman and powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a historic visit to Riyadh.

The prince also reportedly met a group of Jewish and Catholic leaders in a recent visit to New York, which highlighted a rare show of interfaith dialogue.Prince Mohammed, the heir to the Saudi throne, has sought to project a moderate image of his austere kingdom, often associated in the West with jihadist ideology and subjugating women.

The reformist prince has announced the lifting of a ban on women driving and has authorised cinemas for the first time in over three decades as part of his pledge to spread a more moderate version of Islam.


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This is beautiful.... Originators are now accepting moderate Islam, and some region in Africa are still practising jihad...

Well, the church of God is moving on even in the middle east, one day we have the church in Mecca and Medina....

obonujoker:
This is beautiful.... Originators are now accepting moderate Islam, and some region in Africa are still practising jihad...

Well, the church of God is moving on even in the middle east, one day we have the church in Mecca and Medina....

Continue dreaming

This is wonderful and some people would say our crown prince is not trying with his efforts towards moderating Islam.Religious harmony and peaceful co existence is surely a good thing.The Saudi reform is already in motion with the different enlightening news coming from Saudi Arabia.

tartar9:

Continue dreaming

Why not?? Saudi just accepted it... there is a mosque in Israel too, so you know...

While our people in Nigeria Are still fighting for their lazy god

thanks cardinal, interreligious dialogue yielding fruits.


for those protesters who like yearning dust because the Vatican dialogue with others hope now you understand

lalastica

Wealth is inversely proportional to extremism

The poorer(mentally and finincially) the angrier

Why won't Saudi embrace Christians