Daijiworld Media Network – Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, May 15: The United Arab Emirates has denied claims that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to meet UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in March, amid heightened regional tensions linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
The controversy erupted after Netanyahu’s office reportedly claimed that he had made a confidential visit to the UAE during the ongoing conflict. However, the UAE foreign ministry rejected the claim, stating that the country’s relations with Israel are conducted transparently under the framework of the Abraham Accords.
In a strongly worded reaction, prominent Emirati scholar Abdulkhaleq Abdulla described Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and said he was “wholly unwelcome” in the UAE.
“There is no welcome whatsoever for a war criminal and the killer of Gaza’s children on the pure soil of the Emirates,” Abdulla wrote on social media platform X. He further alleged that the reported visit was “a fabrication” intended to serve Netanyahu’s political and electoral interests.
The UAE foreign ministry urged media organisations to exercise professionalism and avoid circulating unverified reports or misleading political narratives.
Despite the denial, reports citing Israeli and Arab sources claimed that a meeting between Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed allegedly took place on March 26 in Al Ain, near the Oman border.
Open-source intelligence observations and flight-tracking data reportedly indicated that two Israeli business jets flew from Tel Aviv to Al Ain and returned the same evening.
The UAE became the first Gulf nation to establish diplomatic ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords signed in 2020 during US President Donald Trump’s first term. Since then, the two countries have expanded cooperation in areas including trade, intelligence, defence, and technology.
The report also comes amid growing regional tensions following the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Recent reports suggested that Israel had supplied Iron Dome air defence systems and personnel to the UAE to strengthen protection against missile and drone attacks.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee publicly confirmed the deployment earlier this week, describing the UAE-Israel relationship as “extraordinary” under the Abraham Accords.
The UAE has reportedly faced repeated missile and drone attacks during the conflict, with authorities stating that hundreds of projectiles were launched by Iran towards targets in the region.
While Gulf nations have publicly opposed escalation in the region, the conflict has further reshaped strategic alliances and security cooperation across West Asia.