On the night of 12 February 2008m His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa accompanied by Archimandrite panteleimon Arathymos, Director of Developmental Works of the Patriarchate, Elias Habib, and Nicholas Katsikas, Press Secretary, arrived in Dubai, following an invitation by His Excellency Mr. Juma Al Majid, founder of the “Juma Al Majid Centre for Culture and Heritage”.
The following day, 13th February 2008, His Beatitude visited the above named cultural Centre, its educational institutions where 4000 students study Islam, its libraries and its areas of maintenance and restoration of books kept there.He then met with His Excellency Sheik Juma All Majid, who expressed his love for the spiritual richness and missionary heritage of the Alexandrian Church, as well as for the multifaceted missionary and humanistic work undertaken to help the suffering people of Africa.
During the meeting, the prospects of future collaboration between the Centre and the Patriarchal Library of Alexandria were discussed; this would be through conferences, educaional programmes, common activities which would promote the spiritual treasure of the two Libraries, and a co-operation memorandum was signed.A lunch hosted by His Excellency Sheik Juma All Majid in honour of His Beatitude followed. His Beatitude departed that same night for Madagascar.
