JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel’s president will make his first official visit to the United Arab Emirates next week.
President Isaac Herzog is scheduled to fly to the UAE on Sunday for a two-day trip where he will meet with senior Emirati leaders and open Israel’s national day at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Herzog’s trip is made possible through the “Abraham Accords,” a series of US-brokered normalization agreements Israel signed with the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. Since then, bilateral trade and cooperation have soared between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Herzog will meet with UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, along with other leaders and members of the country’s Jewish community.
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“We have the privilege of making history by making the first visit of an Israeli president to the United Arab Emirates,” Herzog said in a statement. “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. We are a peace-loving nation, and together we will expand the historic circle of peace of the Abraham Accords and create a better, more tolerant, and safer world for our children.”
While the Israeli presidency is largely a ceremonial role, it plays a key part in developing foreign ties and building relationships between Israeli diplomats and their foreign counterparts. He also can play an influential role in internal Israeli politics.
Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett became the first Israeli leader to make an official visit to the UAE since the two countries established ties in 2020.
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