Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani receives Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Manama. AFP
Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani receives Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Manama. AFP
Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani receives Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Manama. AFP
Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani receives Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Manama. AFP

Israeli Foreign Minister hopes to expand normalisation during visit to Bahrain


  • English
  • Arabic

Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said he hoped to expand the "circle of peace" as he discussed normalisation during a two-day visit to Bahrain, ahead of talks with King Hamad.

Writing on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Mr Cohen said he discussed the two nations' commitment to "fighting against terrorism" and "promoting a free trade agreement" with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

"We look forward to expanding the circle of peace and normalisation to other countries in the region," he said.

The Crown Prince met Mr Cohen at Manama's Gudaibiya Palace, Bahrain state news agency BNA reported.

Prince Al Khalifa said the kingdom holds a "firm stance" towards achieving sustainable peace that guarantees the rights of Palestinians, the report said.

The UAE and Bahrain established ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, signed in the US in 2020.

Mr Cohen is visiting Bahrain less than two weeks before the third anniversary of the accords.

He was accompanied by a delegation of political and commercial officials and is also scheduled to hold discussions with Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani.

A video shared by Israeli news outlet Kan showed parts of a ceremony to open the renovated permanent residence of the Israeli Embassy in Manama attended by the Bahraini and Israeli Foreign Ministers.

The new embassy will replace the first one that Israel opened in 2021, a year after it normalised ties with Bahrain.

Mr Al Zayani said the event signified a “shared commitment to strengthening and cultivating bilateral relations”.

“As we build into deeper diplomatic endeavours and engage in bilateral co-operation across various sectors, the establishment of this new embassy assumes a pivotal role in our collaboration,” he said.

Mr Cohen's visit coincides with growing speculation about an agreement to establish ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Israel and the US have said they do not believe such a deal is imminent, while Saudi Arabia has not yet commented on the issue.

The UAE, Bahrain and other Gulf states have criticised Israeli military operations in the occupied Palestine this year.

The storming of Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem and raids by on the Palestinian city of Nablus and the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank were among the Israeli actions that led to condemnation from the Gulf.

More than 170 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the start of 2023, according to a tally by the Associated Press.

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

The specs

Engine 60kwh FWD

Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry

Power 204hp Torque 360Nm

Price, base / as tested Dh174,500 

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Updated: September 04, 2023, 5:35 PM