The election of Pope Leo LIV as the successor to Francis, with the participation of a hand full of cardinals from the Middle East, might generate a renewed interest in the lives and livelihood of the small catholic community in the region. Estimated at 5.6 million (2013 PEW figures), they make up just one per cent of the global population.
Despite their small presence, all—almost all—the countries of the Middle East have relations with the Holy See. As the enclosed list complied from the Vatican indicates, political and foreign policy calculations meant that even countries without any Catholic citizen population have also joined the process.
The historic Jewish-Papacy theological contest and animosity meant that Israel-Vatican normalisation had to wait until the Oslo Agreement of 1993. Others have been moving in that direction for decades. The Sultanate of Oman, known for its inclusive society, was the latest to join the process when it established relations in February 2023.
Interestingly, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains the only Middle Eastern country that does not have formal relations with the Vatican. With Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who’s spearheading far-reaching religious and social reforms, will the Kingdom join the march? Here is when the Middle Eastern countries established diplomatic ties with the Vatican.
Lebanon – November 1946
Egypt – August 23, 1947
Iran – May 2, 1953
Syria – February 21, 1953
Türkiye – January 25, 1960
Iraq – August 26, 1966
Kuwait – October 21, 1968
Algeria – March 6, 1972
The Sudan – April 29, 1972
Tunisia – March 22, 1972
Morocco – January 15, 1976
Libya – March 10, 1997
Yemen – October 13, 1998
Jordan – March 3, 1994
Israel – June 15, 1994
Bahrain – January 12, 2000
Qatar – November 18, 2002
UAE – May 31, 2007
South Sudan – February 22, 2013
State of Palestine – June 26, 2015
Oman – February 22, 2023
Saudi Arabia – Not Yet
The author teaches contemporary Middle East studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.