According to the Khaleej Times, on his arrival in Abu Dhabi on a presidential flight, he was received at the airport by UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Speaking during the flight, the Israeli president said there was no doubt that this was a very moving moment.
Upon arrival in the United Arab Emirates, the Israeli President and First Lady received a warm welcome, after which President Isaac Herzog called on Sheikh Abdullah at the diplomatic level.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed led the UAE delegation to the Abraham Agreement, signed between the two countries at the White House in 2020.
President Isaac Herzog praised the UAE’s rapid development, saying “this is my first visit to the UAE as President of Israel.”
We are pleased and impressed by the warm welcome extended by the UAE Foreign Minister to Abu Dhabi.
Regarding the visit, the Israeli presidency said that Israeli President Isaac Herzog was on his first visit to the United Arab Emirates to improve relations with the Gulf states.
The Israeli president is visiting the United Arab Emirates at a time when tensions are high in the region and world powers are working to restore Iran’s nuclear program.
According to the foreign news agency Reuters, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that he would meet with the leadership of the United Arab Emirates at the personal invitation of Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
“I salute the courage of the UAE’s bold leadership in concluding a peace agreement with Israel and I want to send a message that peace is the best alternative for the people of this region,” he said.
Herzog is the first Israeli president to visit the UAE, and his predecessor, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, also visited the UAE in December.
Israel signed agreements at the White House in 2020 to restore relations with the United Arab Emirates as well as Bahrain, dubbed the “Abraham Accord.”
Both Gulf states and Israel have similar concerns about Iran and its allied forces and militias in the region.