Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev (Likud) visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque of Abu Dhabi, following an invitation by United Arab Emirates representative Sheikh Muhammed.
Completed in 2007 after ten years of construction and at a cost of over half a billion dollars, the mosque is one of the United Arab Emirates’ most popular tourist attractions.
During the visit, Minister Regev wore traditional attire in respect of local customs, and removed her shoes upon entering the site.
“This mosque has a feeling of friendship and peace,” Regev wrote in the mosque’s guest book. “I wish [the people of] Abu Dhabi good tidings and peace to all.”
Minister Regev’s visit to the mosque caps off her historic trip to the UAE, during which she joined Israeli judokas at a tournament in Abu Dhabi.
The event marks the first time the Israeli anthem has been played in an Arab Gulf state
Regev's trip to the UAE, which began on Thursday, coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's visit to neighboring Oman, the first for an Israeli leader since 1996.
On the same day, an Israeli gymnastics delegation was in Qatar for the beginning of the world championships being held in Doha.
