The Pope and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sign a Pledge of Fraternity

On February 4, 2019, Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, gathered at the Founder's Memorial in Abu Dhabi to sign the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. The event occurred during an apostolic visit by Pope Francis to the United Arab Emirates spanning February 3 to February 5, where he engaged in discussions with various Islamic leaders. Signed at the close of an interreligious gathering known as the Human Fraternity Meeting, the document was intended to foster global coexistence between distinct religious communities.

The signed declaration, alternately designated the Abu Dhabi declaration or Abu Dhabi agreement, emerged directly from private dialogue between the pontiff and the Grand Imam. Rather than presenting a formal political treaty, the text set forth principles aimed at fostering peaceful coexistence among different faith traditions. In the document, both religious leaders announced their commitment to adopting a culture of dialogue as their primary path, establishing mutual cooperation as a standard code of conduct, and maintaining reciprocal understanding as a universal method for peaceful relations.