Brief
History
A
few decades ago, Armenians,
mostly single men, came to the
United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) to
work for a few years and return
to their homeland with some
financial security. But, thanks
to the hospitable environment,
the newcomers stayed, got
established and the community
started growing.
In 1979, a young clergyman,
Father Oshagan Choloyan,
from the Catholicosate of
Cilicia, in Antelias, Lebanon,
visited the area to evaluate the
Armenian communities living
there. What he found was very
encouraging. There was a church
and a school in Kuwait, which
kept the community lively and
active. The Armenian Community
in the United Arab Emirates, on
the other hand, was just getting
itself organized. So, by 1980,
Father Oshagan was established
in Kuwait as a Pontifical Legate
for the area including Kuwait
and the Gulf countries.
Since then, U.A.E. Armenians (in
Sharjah-Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
formed well-organized
communities with Community
Councils, various
sub-committees, a Church (Saint
Grigory the Illuminator, since
1998) and a Community Center in
Sharjah, weekly schools in
Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, etc. Both
communities have established
weekly schools, where Armenian
children come together to learn
the Armenian language. The
community has grown and
prospered thanks to the
hospitality of the late
president of the United Arab
Emirates Sheikh Zayed
bin Sultan al Nahyan
and his successor
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al
Nahyan.
The Armenian Prelacy of Kuwait
and the Arabian Gulf Countries
is based in Kuwait City (Salmiyeh). His
Eminence Archbishop Goriun
Babian is the
Catholicosal Vicar to the
region. A National
Representative Assembly (Temagan)
meets once a year to review and
evaluate the overall status of
the communities in Kuwait,
Sharjah-Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The
pastor of the United Arab
Emirates is Father Aram
Degirmenjian who takes
care of the spiritual life of
the Armenians living in the
Emirates and celebrates Mass.
Several social and cultural
activities are organized in the
United Arab Emirates, with the
presence of Armenians and their
non-Armenian friends.
In May 2000, an Armenian Embassy
was established in Abu Dhabi
through the efforts and
financial undertaking of the
Armenians living in all Gulf
countries. Armavia flies twice
weekly from Dubai to Yerevan,
the capital of Armenia. Air
Arabia flies twice weekly from
Sharjah to Yerevan. About 300
citizens of Armenia are residing
in the UAE.
The
estimated number of Diasporan
Armenians in Kuwait is 4000,
Sharjah- Dubai 3200 and in Abu
Dhabi 700. The Diasporan
Armenians living in the Gulf
have many nationalities, mainly
they are from Lebanon, Syria,
Iran, Iraq, US, Canada,
Australia, and several European
countries etc.
The main executive body in the
three cities is the
Community Council(s),
which supervises the function of
the different sub-committees
(women, youth, cultural,
information, church bodies and
associations, etc.). It
commemorates the important
events on the Armenian calendar,
tries to help the needy
individuals, welcomes visitors
from other Armenian Communities,
etc.
Upper-right photo: Saint Grigory
the Illuminator Armenian
Apostolic Church in Yarmouk
district, City of Sharjah,
United Arab Emirates.
Contact
details:
Tel: +971 6 5660320
Fax: +971 6 5660790
PO Box 41117, Sharjah
United Arab Emirates
E-mail:
armcom@emirates.net.ae
Location Map
