Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems announced Sunday it had launched a new venture in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday ahead of visits to Dubai by senior Israeli military officials.
The manufacturer — known among other things for both the Hermes armed drone as well as cutting-edge surveillance technology — hailed the announcement as a product of the so-called Abraham Accords, which saw Israel establish diplomatic ties with several Arab states including the UAE last year.
Termed as Elbit Systems Emirates, the new venture "will seek to foster long-term cooperation with the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces," the Israeli firm said in a statement.
Company vice president Ran Kril noted that the “Abraham Accords provide a sound basis for business collaborations in the region,” calling the UAE one of the region's "important new markets" for Elbit.
The development comes amid a burgeoning alliance between the Jewish state and the Gulf kingdom.
Israel's Air Force chief on Sunday arrived in the United Arab Emirates in what appeared to be the first official visit by an IDF official to the Gulf state.
Maj.-Gen. Amikam Norkin, the commander of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), met with his Emirati counterpart Gen. Ibrahim Nasser Muhammed al-Alawi, who had made his first visit to Israel last month during the multinational "Blue Flag" air exercise.
Last week, Israel Aerospace Industries announced the potential for Israeli-Emirati military cooperation in space, and in July of this year, the UAE officially opened its embassy in Israel.
Defense Minister and former Israeli military chief of staff Benny Gantz, as well as other senior defense officials, are due to visit Dubai next week to inaugurate "the first-ever national pavilion" at the air show, Gantz's office disclosed.
Other leading Israel defense industry firms, including giant Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, will participate in the exhibit.