Aishwarya Rathore-
The United Arab Emirates became the first Gulf country to open an embassy in Israel on Wednesday, nearly a year after the two countries agreed to normalise diplomatic relations.
The new mission is hosted inside the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. According to The Times of Israel, new Israeli President Isaac Herzog was present at the ceremony.
Although UAE Ambassador Mohammad Mahmoud Al Khajah presented his credentials in early March, the actual opening did not take place until now.
Khajah said at the ceremony, “It is a great honour to open the embassy here. Ten months ago our two countries signed the Abraham Accords with a vision of dignity, prosperity and peace for the two peoples”.
He added, “This is just the beginning. Both countries are innovative nations and we will harness these new approaches for the prosperity of the countries”.
Last month, Israel Foreign Minister Yair Lapid made the first official visit to the UAE by an Israeli minister, inaugurating the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate in Dubai.
The visit comes about a year after Israel and the UAE said they would normalise relations, and months after Israeli leaders’ scheduled visits were thwarted by a slew of difficulties including diplomatic squabbles.
Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced that their diplomatic relations was normalised in 2020. Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco later joined the Abraham Accords, which were brokered by the United States, and more countries were rumoured to be in talks.