Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly traveled secretly to Abu Dhabi on Sunday and met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed as regional security ties face renewed scrutiny.
WEBDESK – SOURCE: CNN & DAWN
ABU DHABI/JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly made an unannounced visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to Israeli sources and multiple reports.
The visit was not publicly announced by Netanyahu’s office or the UAE government. A senior Israeli official separately confirmed to Reuters that Netanyahu visited Abu Dhabi and met Sheikh Mohammed. CNN also cited an Israeli source familiar with the trip.
According to the Israeli source cited by CNN, discussions between Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohammed focused heavily on Iran and regional security. Israel and the UAE have expanded security cooperation in recent years, including during the current conflict involving Iran.
The reported meeting comes at a politically sensitive moment in Israel, where Netanyahu faces an October 27 election and renewed scrutiny over claims concerning warnings received before Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz recently reported that Sheikh Mohammed had warned Netanyahu about a possible major Hamas operation before the October 7 attack. The report has been disputed by Netanyahu, who has denied receiving such a warning.
The UAE has not confirmed the alleged warning. In a September 8 statement, its Foreign Ministry said it does not comment on media reports or speculation about conversations between government leaders. The ministry added that UAE and Israeli government entities have maintained open and direct communication channels and that relevant intelligence is communicated between the appropriate entities when necessary.
Recent reporting has also focused on whether Netanyahu asked Sheikh Mohammed to publicly reject the claims about the pre-October 7 warning. Haaretz reported that Netanyahu sought such a denial during the latest meeting, while the UAE has not yet publicly acknowledged the encounter.
The reported trip is also significant given the unusual history of Netanyahu’s dealings with Abu Dhabi. Israel and the UAE established diplomatic relations under the 2020 Abraham Accords, leading to expanding economic, diplomatic and security contacts.
Earlier this year, Netanyahu’s office said he had secretly visited the UAE and met Sheikh Mohammed during a March trip, describing the meeting as a major development in bilateral relations. The UAE disputed that account at the time, saying the claimed meeting had not taken place.
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu’s latest trip was conducted aboard a private aircraft and that he returned to Israel the same day. Israel Hayom further reported that senior Israeli security officials accompanied him, although those details have not been publicly confirmed by the UAE.
The latest visit, if fully confirmed by both governments, would represent another high-level contact between Israel and the UAE at a time of heightened regional tensions and continued Israeli focus on Iran.
