The Vatican and Oman established diplomatic ties on Thursday, marking a further widening of the Holy See’s official relations with the Arab Muslim World, Reuters reports.

In a joint statement, both sides said they wanted to promote mutual understanding and cooperation and that ambassadors would be named.

The Vatican, a sovereign city-state surrounded by Rome, now has diplomatic relations with every country on the Arabian Peninsula, except Saudi Arabia.

Oman, a Sultanate, is predominately Muslim, like the other countries on the Peninsula. Oman has only four Catholic parishes and 12 priests, the Vatican said in a separate statement.

The Vatican hopes that, with the upgrading of relations, the Church could continue to contribute to the social well-being of the country, the statement added.

Pope Francis visited Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in 2019, and Bahrain last year.

In both places, he attended inter-religious meetings to promote dialogue among faiths.

Source: Middle East Monitor