Israel appoints first ambassador to UAE

Tel Aviv: Israel has appointed its first ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following the signing of a normalization deal last year, the Israeli foreign ministry said on Sunday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a statement that he has chosen Amir Haik, an economist and former director of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Employment, to take the job.

“Haik has rich experience and knowledge in the fields of economics and tourism,” Lapid said, adding that Haik is “the right man to establish the bridge between Israel and the UAE.”

The appointment came after Israel opened its embassy in Abu Dhabi in June and the UAE opened its embassy in Tel Aviv in July.

Israel and the UAE signed the U.S.-brokered normalization deal in September 2020.