UAE foreign minister arrives in Israel for 1st official visit

JERUSALEM

The United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s foreign minister arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday on an official visit to Israel.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed is leading a high-level delegation during his several days’ visit, which coincides with the 2nd anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel, the state news agency WAM reported.

Bin Zayed is expected to hold talks with Israeli officials to discuss a flurry of issues of mutual concern and horizons of cooperation between the two countries.

In September 2020, the UAE and Israel signed a US-sponsored deal to normalize their relations. Since then, the two countries have exchanged official visits by senior officials and signed dozens of bilateral agreements in various fields, including investment, banking services, and tourism.

Three other Arab states – Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan – joined the UAE in the controversial move that came to be known as the Abraham Accords.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report