Pope Francis has called out the dangers of "fake news" amid ongoing propaganda campaigns across Gulf Arab countries.

Francis made the comment in a speech Monday night, saying: "Young people, who are often surrounded by negative messages and fake news, need to learn not to surrender to the seductions of materialism, hatred and prejudice."

The boycott of Qatar by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has seen such propaganda published since its start in June 2017.

The crisis began after Qatar's state-run news agency was hacked and fake items were published.

In the time since, slanted or one-sided coverage in the dispute has been common in both Arabic- and English-language media outlets.

Pope Francis is visiting the UAE on the first papal trip ever to the Arabian Peninsula, the birthplace of Islam.