Israel announced Sunday that its embassy in Abu Dhabi has officially opened, following approval by the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to open its own mission in Tel Aviv.
The UAE and Israel agreed to normalize relations in August, a deal forged largely over shared fears of Iran.
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UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi
(Photo; AFP)
Since then Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco have all agreed to establish ties with Israel in deals brokered in 2020 by the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
No further details were given about the UAE embassy to Israel.
Israel regards Jerusalem as its capital, although that is not recognized by most of the international community. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv.
Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said the opening of the new embassy would allow the broadening of what already are warm ties between Israel and the UAE. Since formally establishing ties in September, the two countries have already established direct flights and exchanged numerous trade delegations, while thousands of Israeli tourists have visited the UAE.
Eitan Na'eh, a former Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan and Turkey, will be head of the mission in the Gulf kingdom.
A statement from the Foreign Ministry said Israel's embassy in Abu Dhabi officially opened on Sunday with the arrival of the country's envoy there, albeit in a temporary location until permanent premises are found.
The Foreign Ministry said Israel would soon open an interest section in Morocco and a consulate in Dubai. It also said an embassy in Bahrain has been operating for several weeks.