Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met in the United Arab Emirates, the countries acknowledged publicly for the first time on Monday.
Sunday’s meeting between the two leaders focused on “strengthening relations between the two countries and on regional challenges,” according to a readout from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
Afra Al Hameli, director of strategic communications for the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that “the two sides discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen ties.” He did not mention “regional challenges.”
The meeting is the first time that both countries have confirmed a visit by Netanyahu to the United Arab Emirates since the country established diplomatic relations with Israel by signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020.
It was not the first official meeting between Sheikh Mohamed and an Israeli leader.
Naftali Bennett traveled to the country to meet the UAE president in 2021 and 2022, when he was prime minister, but the two countries had not previously acknowledged a visit by Netanyahu.
In May, the Prime Minister’s Office said that Netanyahu had secretly visited the Gulf state during Israeli military operations against Iran. The UAE denied that the meeting took place.
The Israeli readout of Sunday’s meeting said that Netanyahu’s wife Sara Netanyahu joined him on the trip, as did with the heads of Mossad and the Israeli National Security Council.
Netanyahu’s military secretary and foreign policy adviser also took part.
Citing anonymous sources, the Associated Press reported that Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohamed discussed claims, first published by Haaretz, that the UAE had tried to warn Israel ahead of the Oct. 7 attacks.
The Prime Minister’s Office called the AP report “fake news.”
