Israeli foreign minister arrives UAE for the first-ever visit

Israel’s new Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, making it the first Israeli top diplomat to visit the Gulf state.

During his two-day visit, Lapid would meet with his Emirati counterpart, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

He would also inaugurate the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi and a general consulate in Dubai.

Israel had signed agreements establishing diplomatic ties with the UAE and Bahrain in September following mediation by the United States.

The two became the first Gulf countries to establish official ties with Israel.

This could lead to crossing the decades-old line drawn by most Arab states who had refused relations with Israel until the conflict with the Palestinians had been resolved.