Iraqi Shi'ite leader visits UAE, strengthening ties with Sunni states

FILE PICTURE: Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr speaks during a media conference with Iraqi Defense Minister Arfan al-Hayali and Iraq's Interior Minister Qasim al-Araji (not pictured) in Najaf, Iraq May 3, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani

ERBIL, Iraq, (Reuters) - An influential Iraqi Shi'ite cleric plans to visit the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, strengthening his ties with Sunni-ruled states of the Middle East.

It will be the second such trip in as many months for Moqtada al-Sadr, who commands a large following among Iraq's urban poor. He visited Saudi Arabia at the end of July.