UAE embassy inaugurated in Tel Aviv in the presence of Israeli President

Tel Aviv/Dubai – The embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was inaugurated in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, in the presence of Israeli President Isaac Herzog. This is the first time that a Middle Eastern Arab country has opened an embassy in Israel. In August last year, a historic peace agreement was signed between Israel and the UAE, mediated by US President Donald Trump. Since then, the two countries have taken several important steps to enhance cooperation, with the opening of an embassy being an important milestone.

UAE Ambassador Mohammed Mahmoud Al Khaja clarified his stand ‘It is a great honour to open an embassy in Israel. The Abraham Agreement was signed by both countries ten months ago. The objective of the agreement was that peace and prosperity prevail among the people of both countries. The opening of the embassy is just the beginning. Both the UAE and Israel are known as innovators. This new vision will be beneficial for the prosperity of both the countries.’

This time, Israeli President Herzog welcomed the development, saying that the opening of the UAE embassy was a crucial step for the entire Middle East. But today this has become a reality. This process cannot stop now. I recently had telephonic conversations with leaders in the Gulf countries. From that, I realized that Israel has many partners and allies in this sector. Saying, ‘It was an impossible dream to fly the Emirati flag in the skies of Tel Aviv. We hadn’t even thought about it,’ the Israeli President indicated that the process of establishing diplomatic relations with the Gulf states would be expedited.

News that Arab countries are trying to establish cooperation with Israel has circulated for the past few years. Despite hints, countries like the UAE, Bahrain, and Oman refused to take an open role. But former US President, Donald Trump took the initiative last year to get the historic ‘Abraham Peace Accord’ signed between Israel and the UAE. Following the agreement, the two countries have taken steps to enhance cooperation rapidly.

In October last year, the two countries signed a crucial fuel deal. Since then, air and sea trade has been introduced in both the countries and tourism has also been boosted. The two countries have also started talks on land corridors as well as technological cooperation. The UAE has also announced an investment of 10 billion in Israel.

Both countries have also announced their first ambassadors. The Israeli Foreign Minister visited UAE late last month and opened the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi. After that, the UAE opened its embassy in Tel Aviv, which is expected to boost cooperation between the two countries further.