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Netanyahu UAE Visit: Abu Dhabi Confirms Secret Meeting with MBZ — Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the UAE capital on Sunday

Editorial Team

Secret Abu Dhabi talks with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed surface amid pre-October 7 warning controversy and ahead of Knesset elections.

The United Arab Emirates has confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a secret visit to Abu Dhabi over the weekend. The official confirmation came late on Monday, a day after the Israeli leader made the unannounced trip, and just a month before Israel's Knesset elections scheduled for October.

The visit carries significant political weight because it coincides with domestic turmoil for Netanyahu, who is trailing in the polls and facing a fierce challenge from former military chief Gadi Eisenkot. It also follows controversial reports alleging that the UAE president had warned Netanyahu of a major Hamas operation shortly before the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.

Confirmed Meeting and Official Statement

The Emirates News Agency, WAM, confirmed the meeting on Monday, reporting that the two sides discussed bilateral relations between the UAE and Israel and ways to strengthen and develop them. The meeting had earlier been reported in the Israeli press, with Channel 12 first disclosing the trip.

The visit took place as Netanyahu battles domestic political challenges ahead of the October elections. He is trailing in the polls and facing a strong challenge from Eisenkot, a former military chief.

Background of the Reported Warning

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on September 9 that the UAE president spoke to Netanyahu by phone about 10 days before the October 7, 2023 attack, warning him of a threat made by then-Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar that he was preparing a "huge surprise." The report also stated that Bin Zayed had previously alerted Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency.

Netanyahu's office has denied that the prime minister received information ahead of the attacks. The following day, Netanyahu said he would sue Haaretz, calling its report "fabricated" and "politically motivated."

During the October 7 attack, Palestinian fighters killed at least 1,195 people in southern Israel and took around 250 captive. Israel's military response has developed into a war on Gaza in which at least 73,669 Palestinians have been killed.

Growing Bilateral Cooperation

Relations between Israel and the UAE have warmed since the UAE signed the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, which normalized ties between Israel and a number of Arab states. United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in May that Israel had deployed Iron Dome air defence batteries and personnel to the UAE to help defend against potential Iranian attacks.

Following the disclosure of Netanyahu's trip, Shin Bet said on Monday that it had filed a complaint with Israel's military censor, saying the report endangered the prime minister and exposed the intelligence agency's operational methods, according to The Associated Press.

What Lies Ahead

The UAE has now officially confirmed the meeting, while Israeli authorities have not disputed the visit itself. Netanyahu continues to deny receiving any prior warning about the October 7 attack, and the legal threat against Haaretz remains pending. The prime minister is expected to focus on the upcoming Knesset elections in October as he seeks to secure his position.