Audio By Carbonatix
The United Arab Emirates is planning to make its first official visit to Israel on Sept. 22 to build up the countries’ agreement to normalize relations, a source familiar with the provisional itinerary said on Monday.
Israeli officials declined to comment and UAE officials did not respond to calls seeking comment.
The two countries announced on Aug. 13 they would normalize diplomatic relations in a U.S.-brokered deal that was hailed as a breakthrough by Washington and Israel but spurned by the Palestinians.
The UAE delegation’s trip to Israel, which has yet to be finalized, would come in reciprocation of a groundbreaking trip to Abu Dhabi last week by senior Israeli and U.S. envoys, the source told Reuters.
The source said the UAE was expected to finalize the trip after a date is announced for a ceremony, likely in Washington, where the countries’ leaders will sign their normalization accord. That ceremony is likely to take place in mid-September, the source added.
The source declined to be identified by name or nationality due to the sensitivity of the evolving contacts.
The trip would be the first publicly acknowledged visit to Israel by an official delegation from the UAE.
Israel exchanged embassies with neighbors Egypt and Jordan under peace deals decades ago. But until the UAE accord, all other Arab states had demanded Israel first cede more land to the Palestinians.
An Israeli minister said on Monday annual trade between Israel and the UAE is expected to reach $4 billion.
Latest Stories
-
Song banned from Swedish charts for being AI creation
1 minute -
Barcelona reach Copa del Rey quarter-finals
10 minutes -
Players need social skills for World Cup – Tuchel
15 minutes -
Labubu toy manufacturer exploited workers, labour group claims
19 minutes -
Lawerh Foundation, AyaPrep to introduce Dangme-language maths module
50 minutes -
US forces seize a sixth Venezuela-linked oil tanker in Caribbean Sea
59 minutes -
Votes being counted in Uganda election as opposition alleges rigging
1 hour -
Ntim Fordjour accuses government of deliberate LGBT push in schools
1 hour -
National security task force storms ‘trotro’ terminals to halt illegal fare hikes
1 hour -
U.S. visa restriction development for Ghana concerning – Samuel Jinapor
1 hour -
Uganda election chief says he has had threats over results declaration
1 hour -
Quality control lapses allowed LGBT content into teachers’ manual – IFEST
1 hour -
Akufo-Addo’s name will be “written in gold” in Ghana’s history in the fullness of time – Jinapor
1 hour -
Tread cautiously about financial hedging – US-based Associate Professor to BoG
1 hour -
LGBTQ curriculum row: Quality control failure, not timing, caused teacher manual controversy – Dr Anti-Partey
1 hour
