(Gulf News) Abu Dhabi: “In many ways it’s easier being a Christian here than it is back in the United Kingdom,” says Reverend Andrew Thompson (MBE), the senior pastor at Abu Dhabi’s St Andrew’s Church.
The UAE has always prided itself on its tolerance, with religious freedom enshrined in the constitution. Article 32 states that the “freedom to exercise religious worship is guaranteed in accordance with established customs and provided it does not conflict with public policy or violate public morals.”
The large Christian expatriate community in Abu Dhabi bears this out, as does the multitude of churches across the country. St Andrew’s Church, built in Abu Dhabi in 1984, has a congregation of 15,000 worshippers every week.