A senior United Arab Emirates official said Wednesday in the wake of the normalization agreement, the Gulf state is mulling opening an embassy and a consulate in Israel, which apparently will be located in northern Israel.
Israeli officials made a historic visit to the UAE on Monday, finalizing the details of the peace deal and Gulf state's sources now say one of the key issues Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi wish to advance going forward is the opening of its diplomatic missions.
According to reports, the Gulf state is not settled on launching the embassy in Tel Aviv alone, but is also weighing the possibility of opening a consulate in either the city of Nazareth or alternatively, in Haifa.
According to an anonymous official, as part of the imminent agreement between Israel and the UAE, Israelis will be able to file requests for visas in the Emirati embassy that is slated to open within three to five months.
The Transport Ministry said an official request from UAE airliners for direct flights to Tel Aviv hasn’t yet been made and is expected to be filed only after the peace agreement is formally signed.
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A meeting attended by Israel's National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat, and U.S. President Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner, during the U.S.-Israel delegation's visit to the UAE
(Photo: Amos Ben Gershom, GPO)
Flights to the UAE from Israel will reportedly begin a month after an official request has been submitted by the UAE airliners.
The historic normalization accord between Israel and the UAE was brokered by the United States and announced three weeks ago, with the official signing of the agreement is set to take place in the coming weeks.