Amir Hayek appointed Israel's first permanent ambassador to the UAE

Israel's head of mission, Eitan Na'eh, has been in place since January, but Mr Hayek is Israel's first permanent ambassador to the UAE

Amir Hayek has been named Israeli ambassador to UAE.

Israel has appointed Amir Hayek as its ambassador to the UAE, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid announced on Sunday.

In a message shared on Twitter, Mr Lapid said Mr Hayek was "rich in experience and knowledge in the fields of economics and tourism".

Mr Hayek "is the right man to institutionalise the bridge between Israel and the Emirates"," Mr Lapid said.

"After the opening of the embassy, it was time to appoint the first ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Good luck Amir."

Mr Hayek is head of the Israel Hotels Association and former chief executive of the Manufacturers' Association of Israel.

The two countries have already embarked on collaborations in several areas, including technology, food, aviation and tourism.

"Our two countries are keen to share resources with each other in fields such as digital transformation, smart cities, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence," Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, and Mr Lapid wrote in a shared op-ed in July.

"Young people will benefit from the growth of these industries, which will enhance social well-being, increase economic competitiveness, and ensure that our countries are prepared for the future."

Israel's head of mission to the UAE, Eitan Na'eh, has been in place since January, taking the role a few months after the UAE and Israel agreed to normalise relations in the historic Abraham Accords, signed in Washington.

The UAE became the first Arab country to normalise relations with Israel since Jordan in 1994. Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan have also normalised relations with Israel.

The UAE opened its embassy in Tel Aviv on July 14, inside the city's stock exchange building.

“This embassy will serve not just as a home for diplomats but a base for our task to continue to build on our new partnership,” said UAE ambassador to Israel, Mohamed Al Khaja, after raising the Emirati flag.