Vatican establishes diplomatic ties with Muslim Qatar

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican said Monday it has established diplomatic relations with the Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar, where foreign guest workers outnumber the mostly Muslim native population.

The Vatican said there are some 45,000 Catholics among the workers. The government recently granted the Roman Catholic Church property for a church, the announcement said.

Currently, Catholic services meet in the gymnasium of the American school in the capital, Doha.