Pope Benedict XVI has embarked on the first leg of a Middle East tour aimed at repairing the Vatican's frayed ties with Muslims and supporting Christian minorities in the region.

The pope arrived in Amman, the capital of Jordan, on Friday for a week-long trip that will also take him to Israel and the occupied West Bank. The visit is his first to the Middle East as pontiff.

The papal pilgrimage is the "most awaited and perhaps most challenging trip so far" of Benedict's papacy, the Vatican said.

It said the fact that the trip was happening was "a sign of hope" that the pope could contribute to reconciliation in the Middle East.

Benedict was to visit Amman's Regina Pacis centre for the handicapped before a courtesy meeting with the Jordanian royal family.

Yousef Al-Sharif, Jordan's information minister, has welcomed the pope's visit.

"We are really delighted that he will start pilgrimage from Jordan," he said.

But Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood has criticised the pope's visit following a controversial papal speech in 2006.

'Insufficient' apology

The pontiff angered many Muslims when he quoted a medieval text that characterised some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman".

The pope later said he was "deeply sorry" for the reaction his speech caused, and explained that the text did not reflect his own opinions.

But the Brotherhood has called for an apology to the world's Muslims, saying the pope's statement of regret was "insufficient".

Jordan's opposition Islamic Action Front party has also called on the pope to apologise for the speech, which they said targeted Islam.

"What we want is a change in his policies, so that it is in harmony with the teachings of Jesus about love, peace, justice, equality and condemnations of crimes and Zionist terrorism," Zaki Bani Rsheid, the head of the party, told the AFP news agency.

But the pope has said he is visiting the Middle East as "a pilgrim of peace" in a region plagued by violence, injustice, mistrust and fear.