Israeli President Isaac Herzog to visit UAE

The UAE Embassy in Israel tweeted early on Wednesday morning to confirm that Israeli President Isaac Herzog will visit the UAE.

It will be the first-ever state visit by an Israeli president to the country, with the President expected to visit the country on January 30-31.

The embassy added that the visit is one of the key milestones following the signing of the Abraham Accords that normalised relations between the two countries in 2020.

During his visit, President Isaac Herzog will meet Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The Israeli President will also open Israel’s national day at Expo 2020 Dubai on January 31.

“We have the privilege of making history, by [undertaking] the first visit of an Israeli President to the United Arab Emirates. This important visit comes as the Israeli and Emirati nations are busy laying the foundations of a new shared future. I believe that our bold new partnership will transform the Middle East and inspire the whole region. I thank Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for this gracious invitation to deepen our nations’ bonds of friendship,” said President Herzog.

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett arrived in the UAE as part of an official visit.

We are excited to welcome the historic state visit of Israeli President @Isaac_Herzog to the UAE. This is a key milestone since signing the #AbrahamAccords which will further strengthen the bond between our nations and foster closer people-to-people ties.

— UAE Embassy in Israel (@UAEinIsrael) January 25, 2022

Since the signing of the Abraham Accords , the UAE has signed over 60 memorandums of understanding with Israel and is expecting an “influx” of trade in the next two years, UAE’s Economy Minister Abdulla Bin Touq said last September.

The UAE is seeking to grow economic ties with Israel to more than $1 trillion over the next decade, he added.

Last week, following the Houthi attack on ADNOC’s facilities and the international airport in Abu Dhabi, President Herzog in a call with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, expressed Israel’s rejection of this attack and emphasised support to all measures the UAE is taking defend its security and sovereignty, according to state-run news agency WAM.