Ambassador Eitan Na’eh, who will serve as charge d’affaires until a permanent ambassador is appointed, arrived in Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital to open the embassy.
The Foreign Ministry said the new embassy “will advance the range of relations between the countries in all areas and expand ties with the Emirati government, economic bodies and the private sector, academia, media and more.”
The embassy is in a temporary structure until a permanent one is found.
Israel and the UAE announced that they are making peace and normalizing ties on August 15 of last year, launching the Abraham Accords. Three more Arab countries – Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco – joined the accords in the subsequent months.
Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi wished Na’eh luck, and said that the ministry is “leading the implementation of the peace and normalization agreements in the Gulf and advancing Israel’s international status.
“Opening the mission will allow the expansion of bilateral ties between Israel and the UAE for maximum and speedy realization of the potential in those relations,” Ashkenazi said. “I thank Crown Prince [of Abu Dhabi] Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed and my friend Foreign Minister Abdallah bin Zayed for their leadership and hospitality towards our representatives.”
Earlier Sunday, the UAE cabinet approved the decision to open an embassy to Israel in Tel Aviv.
Ashkenazi thanked the Emirati government for its decision, saying that it will advance warm ties between the countries and the nations.
In the coming days, Israel is expected to reopen its liaison office in Rabat, capital of Morocco, and a consulate in Dubai, in addition to the Israeli embassy in Bahrain, which has been open for several weeks.