Mohamed Al Khaja, the first ambassador of the United Arab Emirates appointed to Israel arrived on Monday.
In a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi in Jerusalem, 40-year-old Al Khaja said he was “very proud and honored to be the first Emirati ambassador” to Israel, where, he said, he and his hosts were discussing “the model of how we operate”.
“My mission here is to foster and develop this relationship…and we hope this will bring peace and prosperity to the people in the Middle East,” the ambassador said.
The two countries formally normalized their relations in the framework of the Abraham Accords, during a ceremony in Washington ceremony last September.
Israel opened an embassy in Abu Dhabi in January. Its ambassador is Eitan Na’eh, who was previously ambassador to Turkey.
A former chief of staff of the UAE Foreign Minister, Al Khaja Khaja was expected to present his credentials to President Reuven Rivlin and visit Yad Vashem.