The original image is derived from an image ofOur Lady of Mount Carmel brought to Al Ahmadi, Kuwait on 1 May 1948. On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception 1948, the priest, Father Teofano Ubaldo Stella of the Carmelite Order had it framed and brought out for veneration. In 1949, the Legion of Mary used their own image of Miraculous Medal, which encouraged Father Stella to commission an image in Italy under the sculpting company Rosa and Zanzio Ditta to carve a statue of the Madonna and Child using a cedar of Lebanon. The image was brought to Pope Pius XII who also venerated the image and authorised its Marian title. On Orthodox Christmas, 6 January 1950, the statue was returned to Kuwait for public veneration by the faithful. In 1954, Kuwaiti soldiers travelled to Rome for the hundredth anniversary of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, and presented another replica of the image at the Parish of Saint Teresa in Rome. On 16 September 1954, the same image was brought to Pope Pius XII, who blessed the statue at Castel Gandolfo. In May 1956, Pius XII sent a special candle to the new parish built in Ahmadi, especially chosen by him from that year's Candlemas ceremonies in Rome. In 1956, Bishop Stella petitioned the Holy See to proclaim the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Arabia as Patroness of Kuwait. Pope Pius XII granted his consent via the Papal bullRegnum Mariae on 25 January 1957. A solid gold crown studded with precious rubies and diamonds was crafted and then brought to Rome, where Pope John XXIII personally blessed it on 17 March 1960. Bishop Stella donated a particular pearl to the crown as well. The Canonical coronation was further authorised by Pope John XXIII, which occurred on 25 March 1960 via the Papal legate Cardinal Valerian Gracias of Bombay. on 5 January 2011, Pope Benedict XVI approved the patronage by assigning the Marian title was the principal patroness for the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia.
Pontifical approbation
Pope Pius XII authorised the devotion to the statue on 17 December 1949 at the Apostolic Palace, to which he also consented to be photographed venerating the image. The same Pontiff made the Marian title Patroness of the Arabian Peninsula in 1957.
Pope John XXIII issued a Papal bull granting her Canonical coronation on 25 March 1960 via the Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Valerian Gracias. The pontifical document was signed and attested by Cardinal Domenico Tardini dated 9 January 1960.
Patronage
On 25 January 1957 decree Regnum Mariae, Pope Pius XII, declared Our Lady of Arabia the principal patron of the territory and the Vicariate Apostolic of Kuwait. Pope Benedict XVI approved her title as Patroness for the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia on 5 January 2011.
Cathedral
In a gesture of goodwill, the king of Bahrain, His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, granted the Catholic community in Bahrain around 9,000 square metres of land in Awali to build a new church. The news was conveyed to His Lordship Camillo Ballin, apostolic vicar of the Vicariate of Northern Arabia on 11 February 2013. Bishop Camillo personally expressed his gratitude to the king of Bahrain, His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, for this kind gesture and the Government of Bahrain for their support. A cathedral will be built on this land that will serve as the bishopric headquarters for the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia. According to Bishop Camillo, the cathedral will be dedicated to Our Lady of Arabia. Construction of the cathedral is currently in progress.
