Muslims should learn to reciprocate

Archbishop Hashem discussed the
Saudi talks whilst visiting Qatar
(Source: BBC News)

BBC, -The Vatican is holding talks with Saudi Arabia on building the first church in the kingdom, where some 1.5m Christians are not allowed to worship publicly.

Archbishop Paul-Mounged el-Hachem, one of Pope Benedict XVI's most senior Middle East representatives, said the discussions had begun a few weeks ago.

But the archbishop cautioned that the Vatican could not predict the outcome.

The discussions come in the wake of King Abdullah's historic meeting with the Pope at the Vatican last November.

Saudi Arabia: Christians and Jews NOT Benefiting from King Abdullah's Reforms Program Opposed by Clerics

The king's campaign to totally overhaul the Saudi textbooks to remove chapters which promote bigotry and religious fanaticism against Christians, Jews and Shi'ites was met with strong resistance.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and World's Single Most Authoritative Figure Pope Benedict XVI, leader of World's 1.2 billion Catholics meeting at the Vatican (Source: Saudi Embassy)

By Reuters

Saudi King Abdullah's reforms

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, who came to power in 2005 as the sixth ruler of the top oil exporter, started cautious reforms as part of his drive to open up the absolute monarchy and create jobs for its growing population.

Abdullah, believed to be aged about 87, went to the United States in November for medical treatment for a blood clot that complicated a slipped spinal disc.

He arrived in Morocco from New York on Saturday for convalesence, state media said.

Saudi Arabia remains an absolute monarchy, so economic and social policies depend on who is leading the country. Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz is considered to be in a strong position to assume the leadership if serious health problems afflict the king and the crown prince.