The United Arab Emirates has confirmed that President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to the Gulf state on Sunday, September 27.
The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation between their countries, according to a statement carried by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on Monday.
The announcement followed reports in Israeli media that Netanyahu had travelled to Abu Dhabi on a private aircraft for an unannounced meeting with the Emirati president.
A senior Israeli official also confirmed the visit to Reuters on Sunday, although neither Netanyahu’s office nor the UAE Foreign Ministry had immediately commented on the reports.
The UAE’s official account did not disclose whether the leaders discussed the war in Gaza, wider regional security or any new agreements.
The meeting comes amid continued diplomatic engagement between the two countries, which established formal relations under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.
Despite regional tensions over the Gaza war, the UAE and Israel have maintained direct diplomatic and government-level communication. Abu Dhabi reiterated earlier this month that its engagement with Israel has been aimed at de-escalation and regional stability.
