UAE top diplomat in Israel two years after controversial normalisation

The United Arab Emirates' top diplomat arrived in Tel Aviv Wednesday on a visit marking two years since controversial ties were established between the two countries, state media said.

Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed was due to meet top Israeli officials during the trip that would last for "several days", the UAE's state news agency WAM reported.

"Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, today arrived in Tel Aviv on an official visit to the State of Israel," WAM said.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid is scheduled to hold meetings with Sheikh Abdullah, according to his office.

The UAE normalised ties with Israel in September 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords that also saw Bahrain and Morocco follow suit.

The Emirati minister "will meet with high-ranking Israeli officials to discuss a number of issues of mutual concern and matters related to UAE-Israel relations and the prospects for their cooperation and partnership", WAM said.

Bin Zayed had visited Israel in March as part of a high-level meeting in the southern Negev desert alongside his Israeli, US, Moroccan and Bahraini counterparts.

In late May, Israel and the UAE signed a trade deal that removes customs duties on 96 percent of goods shipped between the two countries.

The controversial normalisation deal, which broke decades of Arab consensus, has been slammed by Palestinian factions across the board as a betrayal of their cause.