Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett landed in the United Arab Emirates to begin a historic visit. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, greeted him at Abu Dhabi International Airport’s Presidential Terminal. Also in attendance for the Israeli prime minister’s arrival were Mohamed Mahmoud Al Khaja, UAE Ambassador to Israel, and Amir Hayek, Israel’s ambassador to the UAE. Last year, the two countries formalized their ties, opening the way for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s first official visit to the UAE.
The visit came after a letter of invitation was personally presented to Mr Bennett in October on behalf of Sheikh Mohamed by Mohamed Al Khaja, the UAE’s Ambassador to Israel. During the encounter, Mr. Al Khaja offered the UAE leadership’s best wishes. “Steps towards peace continue and relations are getting stronger for the sake of our people and future generations,” added the ambassador. In February, Mr. Al Khaja was named the UAE’s first ambassador to Israel, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties between the two countries.