Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an unannounced visit to Abu Dhabi on Sunday. He reportedly met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the trip.
A senior Israeli official confirmed the meeting, while neither Netanyahu’s office nor the UAE Foreign Ministry immediately commented. The visit has drawn attention because it comes amid renewed scrutiny of a reported warning before the October 7, 2023 attack.
Netanyahu Meets UAE President in Abu Dhabi
Netanyahu travelled to Abu Dhabi for a one-day visit, according to reports. Israeli media also reported that he travelled on a private plane and spent the day in the UAE.
The meeting between Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohamed comes as regional tensions remain high. Moreover, it follows renewed reports about communications between the two leaders before the October 7 attack.
The UAE and Israel have not immediately provided details about the reported meeting. Therefore, the purpose and specific issues discussed by the two leaders remain unclear.
Reported Hamas Warning Before October 7 Attack
The visit has also brought renewed attention to a report concerning events before October 7, 2023.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz recently reported that Sheikh Mohamed warned Netanyahu about a planned major Hamas operation. The reported warning came around a week and a half before the attack.
According to the report, the warning was not passed to Israeli intelligence agencies or the military. Netanyahu, however, has denied the account and threatened legal action against Haaretz.
Netanyahu’s office has rejected the reported warning, while the UAE has not directly confirmed the account. The disputed claims have nevertheless renewed debate in Israel over the security failures preceding the October 7 attack.
UAE Maintains Direct Communication With Israel
The UAE has previously said its relationship with Israel includes “open and direct lines of communication”.
A UAE source also said Abu Dhabi discusses security matters with other countries through the “relevant entities”, rather than “at the level of national leaders”.
These comments have added another layer to the reports about communications between the UAE and Israeli leadership.
Earlier Reports of Netanyahu’s UAE Meetings
The latest reported meeting is also notable because of earlier conflicting accounts about Netanyahu’s visits to the UAE.
Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi denied that Sheikh Mohamed had met Netanyahu during the Iran war. That followed a statement from Netanyahu’s office in May claiming the Israeli prime minister had “secretly visited” the UAE.
A source familiar with the matter later told Reuters that the two leaders had met in Al Ain on March 26. The oasis city is located in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi near Oman’s border.
Israel-UAE Relations Under Spotlight
Israel and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords. The Emirates became one of the first Arab states to formally normalise relations with Israel.
Since then, the relationship has gained importance amid wider regional tensions. The latest reported Abu Dhabi meeting therefore comes against a complicated backdrop.
For now, however, neither side has publicly provided details about Sunday’s discussions. Meanwhile, the reported 2023 warning remains disputed, with Netanyahu rejecting the account and reports continuing to examine what happened before October 7.
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