UAE cabinet approves decision to establish embassy in Tel Aviv

The UAE Cabinet, during a meeting held on Sunday, January 24, approved the decision to set up an embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The decision of the cabinet, chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, comes months after the signing of the historic Abraham Accords which normalised relations between the UAE and Israel.

On Monday, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) confirmed that it is coordinating with its counterparts in the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the opening of the UAE Embassy in Israel.

In a statement the UAE Ministry said, “At present, the process of opening the embassy has been impacted by current movement restrictions in place in Israel to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.

“With UAE and Israeli efforts to lead the world’s fastest vaccination campaigns, we remain hopeful that the situation will improve and that the process of opening the embassy can be completed soon.”

Meanwhile, on the same day that the UAE cabinet reached their decision on Sunday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry too confirmed that it had set up an embassy in Abu Dhabi.

The Israeli embassy in the UAE’s capital of Abu Dhabi is currently operating out of a temporary office until a permanent facility is located.

The Israeli outpost in the UAE will “expand the ties with the Emirati government, financial bodies and the private sector, universities, the media and more,” media reports said citing Israel’s foreign ministry. Israel is also expected to open a consulate in Dubai.

Israel’s ambassador to the UAE Eitan Na’eh, will serve as charge d’affaires until a permanent ambassador is appointed and has already arrived in Abu Dhabi.

Shortly, Israel will likely reopen a liaison office in the Moroccan capital of Rabat and an embassy in Bahrain too after the latter signed onto the Abraham Accords.