UAE: Sheikh Abdullah arrives in Israel for official visit

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.

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.

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