Israel's top diplomat Yair Lapid arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday for the first ever official visit by an Israeli minister, after the two nations normalized ties in September.
Lapid landed at Abu Dhabi airport after earlier tweeting a picture of himself from inside a plane, with the caption: "Taking off for a historic visit to the UAE."
Israeli ministers have previously visited the United Arab Emirates, but newly appointed Lapid is the most senior Israeli to make the trip, and the first to travel on an official mission.
Since the normalization accord with the UAE was announced in August 2020, Israel has signed a raft of deals with the UAE, ranging from tourism to aviation and financial services.
During his visit, Lapid will inaugurate the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi, as well as the consulate general of Israel in Dubai.
