ISRAELI PRESIDENT HERZOG ARRIVES IN UAE FOR FIRST VISIT

Israeli President Isaac Herzog (c) meets with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan. (Twitter)

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Sun 30 January 2022:

Israeli president Isaac Herzog arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday for a historically first visit to strengthen bilateral ties.

“This morning I am embarking on a historic trip to the United Arab Emirates,” Herzog said before taking off, according to a press release issued by his office.

The two-day trip marks the first time for an Israeli president to pay an official visit to the Gulf country, during which Herzog will meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the latter’s personal invitation.

Beginning the first visit by an Israeli president in the United Arab Emirates. We were delighted and deeply moved by the warm welcome in Abu Dhabi by UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh @ABZayed. 🇮🇱🤝🇦🇪 pic.twitter.com/Mgpqq3vm3h

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) January 30, 2022

The UAE, along with Bahrain, signed US-brokered normalization agreements with Israel, dubbed the “Abraham Accords”, in 2020. The two Gulf states and Israel share common concerns about Iran and its allied forces in the region.

En-route to the UAE, President Herzog’s plane flew over Saudi Arabia, which he said was “truly a very moving moment”. Riyadh and Israel do not have diplomatic ties, but Israel has said it would like to establish a relationship with the Kingdom which is home to Islam’s two holiest sites.

The presidency in Israel is a largely ceremonial post. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited the UAE in December.

President Herzog will also be meeting Jewish communities in the UAE, which is the region’s commercial and tourism hub.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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