UAE: Sheikh Abdullah arrives in Israel for official visit

The foreign minister's visit will span several days and marks two years since the signing of the Abraham Accords

By Allan Jacob in Tel Aviv

Published: Wed 14 Sep 2022, 8:02 PM

Last updated: Thu 15 Sep 2022, 12:12 AM

The arrival of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in Israel on Wednesday is significant as it comes on the eve of the second anniversary of the Abraham Accords that were signed on September 15.

This is his second visit to the country after his trip in March earlier this year for a meeting with his Bahraini, Egyptian, Moroccan and Israeli counterparts in Negev. The foreign ministers then decided to launch a regional forum to discuss issues concerning the Middle East.

This is Sheikh Abdullah's first bilateral visit to Israel and will build on the gains of the Abraham Accords during the Trump administration that heralded what is being called a warm peace. In June, the UAE foreign minister met Alternate Israeli PM Naftali Bennett in Abu Dhabi during his short visit.

Advertising

Sheikh Abdullah is travelling with a high-level UAE delegation on his visit, which will span several days. The UAE minister will meet high-ranking Israeli officials to discuss a number of issues related to bilateral relations and the prospects for further cooperation and partnership.

The UAE-Israeli peace pact has been a boon for business between the two sides. Trade between the two partners reached $1.4 billion in the first seven months of the year, up from $1.2 billion in 2021.

Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco have also signed pacts with Israel under the accords and have benefited from the new era of peace in the Middle East.

ALSO READ: