An Israeli flag was displayed for the first time in the United Arab Emirates this week in honor of a two-member Israeli delegation that arrived for a meeting of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi on Monday, the foreign ministry said in a statement. "Despite the fact that Israel does not have diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, the Israeli representatives were received as equal members, and the Israeli flag flew for the first time in that country," it said.

Israel had trade offices in two Gulf Arab states, Oman and Qatar, which opened in 1996 but were both subsequently shut down for political reasons.