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Pope Francis arrived in Jordan on Saturday (May 24), beginning his first visit to the Middle East since he became leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics last year.

The pontiff arrived at Queen Alia international airport in Amman, Jordan, where he was met by a guard of honor at the start of his three-day tour.

Also there to welcome him were Prince Ghazi Bin Mohammed of Jordan, the personal envoy and special advisor to King Abdullah II, the Vatican's Jordan ambassador and several students from local schools.

During his visit, the Pope will hold a mass at the Amman International Stadium, which is expected to attract over 30,000 thousand Christians from Jordan and the surrounding region.

The Pope will also take part in a tour of the holy sites around the kingdom, including the Jordan River, near the site where John the Baptist is believed to have baptized Jesus.