Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's UAE trip took place on Sunday, 27 September 2026. He flew secretly to Abu Dhabi and met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ). The UAE confirmed the meeting through its state news agency, WAM.
The Israeli delegation
The Netanyahu delegation was made up of:
Benjamin Netanyahu — Prime Minister
Sara Netanyahu — his wife
Roman Gofman — Director of Mossad
Shmuel Ben-Ezra — head of Israel's National Security Council
Maj. Gen. Guy Markizano — Netanyahu's Military Secretary
Ophir Falk — Netanyahu's Foreign Policy Adviser
The PMO also said the delegation included security personnel and the head of the Shin Bet security division.
The Arab side
An expanded meeting took place with the Israeli delegation involving representatives of several Arab/Gulf countries. Besides the UAE, the other countries reported include: Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Jordan, Libya, Qatar. An Emirati source gave a longer list including: United States, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman. That is TWELVE countries including Israel.
The reports say the expanded meeting concerned Iran, the Houthis, intelligence/security cooperation and assistance to Saudi Arabia, and the possibility of a regional defence framework.
A Libyan Airbus A319 associated with Saddam Haftar, the son of eastern Libyan commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, flew from Benghazi to Abu Dhabi during Netanyahu's visit.
All the foreign visitors landed at the Al Bateen Executive Airport (Al Bateen Executive Airport), Abu Dhabi. Flight-tracking reports showed several unusual government/military aircraft arriving around the same time as Netanyahu's aircraft. Moroccan, Saudi and Qatari government aircraft were also reported at the airport.
And Khalifa Haftar the Libyan leader himself was also in Abu Dhabi for 'medical treatment' (Libya Observer).
Since the meeting was called by the President of the UAE and attended by the Israeli Prime Minister it is most likely that the other attendees were of equal or high rank. The Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, who is the younger brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is said to have attended. The Saudis have denied attending at all.
Saudi Arabia is facing an intensified Houthi threat, and Khalid bin Salman is in charge of defense and high-level diplomacy over the Houthi situation.
The meeting was organized by Mossad chief Roman Gofman after a Saudi request for Israeli assistance against Houthi attacks. The UAE agreed to host it.
Israel had already supplied/operated air-defence capabilities in the UAE during the Iranian conflict. In other news, last week TWO squadrons of jet fighters from the United States Air Force have landed at an Israel Air Base in the Negev desert.
I think the curtains are coming down on the Iranian regime.
