# Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia

The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia (Latin: Vicariatus Apostolicus Arabiæ Meridionalis; Arabic: النيابة الرسولية من جنوب الجزيرة العربية) is an apostolic vicariate of the Catholic Church with territorial jurisdiction over Oman, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The current vicar apostolic is Paolo Martinelli.
It was first established in 1888 (as the Apostolic Vicariate of Aden) and took its current name in 2011. The see of the vicar apostolic is in Saint Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi. Since 1916, it has been in the care of the Capuchins of Florence.

## History

The territory was originally part of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Gallas, but it was separated into an apostolic prefecture by Pope Pius IX on 21 January 1875. On 25 April 1888, Pope Leo XIII made the Apostolic Vicariate of Aden, located in Yemen. On the 28 June 1889, the name was changed to the Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia, responsible for the countries of the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding region: Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Somalia and Yemen.
On 29 June 1953, the then Apostolic Prefecture of Kuwait (which has become the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia) was separated from the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia. In 1973, the see of the jurisdiction was transferred from Aden to St. Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi. A subsequent redrawing of boundaries in 2011 reduced its jurisdiction to the countries of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The vicariate has been governed by the Capuchin friars since 1916.

## Apostolic Vicars of Arabia

* Louis-Callixte Lasserre (1888 – April 1900)
* Bernard Thomas Edward Clark (21 March 1902 – 18 June 1910)
* Raffaele Presutti (13 September 1910 – 1915)
* Evangelista Latino Enrico Vanni (15 April 1916 – 1925)
* Pacifico Tiziano Micheloni (25 April 1933 – 6 July 1936)
* Giovanni Tirinnanzi (2 July 1937 – 27 January 1949)
* Irzio Luigi Magliacani (25 December 1949 – 1969)
* Giovanni Bernardo Gremoli (2 October 1975 – 21 March 2005)
* Paul Hinder (21 March 2005 – 31 May 2011)

### Apostolic Vicars of Southern Arabia

* Paul Hinder (31 May 2011 – 1 May 2022)
* Paolo Martinelli (1 May 2022 – present)

## Statistics
### Area

* 929,969 km$^2$

### Population

* Total population: 42,948,063
* Total Catholic Population: 998,500
* Parishes: 16
* Diocesan priests: 17
* Priests belonging to Religious Institutes: 51
* Total Priests: 68
* Permanent deacons living in the diocese: 1
* Professed non-priest Men Religious belonging to Religious Institutes: 1
* Professed Women Religious belonging to Religious Institutes: 53

## List of churches under the jurisdiction of the vicar
### United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi - St. Joseph's Cathedral and St. Francis Church, Abu Dhabi
Mussafah - St. Paul's Church
Al Ain - St. Mary's Church
Ruwais - St. John the Baptist Church
Dubai - St. Mary's Catholic Church
Jebel Ali - St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
Sharjah - St. Michael's Catholic Church
Ras Al Khaimah - St. Anthony of Padua Church
Fujairah - Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church

### Oman

Muscat - Holy Spirit Church, Sts. Peter and Paul Church
Salalah - St. Francis Xavier Church
Sohar - St. Anthony's Church

### Yemen

Aden - Proto-Cathedral St. Francis of Assisi
Hodeidah - Sacred Heart Church
Sana'a - St. Mary Help of Christians Church
Taiz - St. Therese of the Child Jesus Church