Apostolic Delegation to the Arabian Peninsula

The Apostolic Delegation to the Arabian Peninsula, originally the Apostolic Delegation to the Red Sea Region, represents the interests of the Holy See to officials of the Catholic Church, civil society, and government offices to several nations in the region. The Holy See and the governments of those countries have not established diplomatic relations and the position of Apostolic Delegate is not a diplomatic one, though the Delegate is a member of the diplomatic service of the Holy See.

Pope Paul VI established the Delegation to the Red Sea Region seated in Khartoum, Sudan, on 3 July 1969, with responsibility for Sudan, Somalia, the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas (present-day Djibouti), and the Arabian peninsula.[1] With the creation of the Nunciature to Sudan in 1972, the same prelate held both titles until the Secretariat of State made more general changes in 1992.

Pope John Paul II created two separate Apostolic Delegations to Djibouti and to Somalia and renamed the Delegation to the Red Sea Region the Delegation to the Arabian Peninsula, now based in Kuwait City, on 26 March 1992, detailing its responsibilities as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen.[2] The Delegate to the Arabian Peninsula is also the Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait.

With the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Yemen (1998), Bahrain (2000), Qatar (2002), and United Arab Emirates (2007), the Delegation to the Arabian Sea remains responsible for Oman and Saudi Arabia.