Israeli foreign minister on historic UAE visit

Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid is in the UAE on a two-day visit.

It’s the first official trip to the Emirates by an Israeli minister.

The top diplomat formally opened Israel's embassy in Abu Dhabi today, and is due to inaugurate a consulate in Dubai and sign a bilateral agreement on economic cooperation.   

He will also hold talks with senior UAE officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The trip comes after the UAE and Israel decided to normalise relations last year as part of the Abraham Accords. 

Since then, both countries have signed a number of economic deals ranging from technology and tourism to aviation and financial services.