The Emiratis know how to be good hosts: They rolled out the red carpet for Bennett’s arrival, where he was greeted by Foreign Minister and brother of the crown prince Abdallah bin Zayed. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan hosted him for lunch at his private residence.
But Bennett couldn’t take full advantage of the visit to make a big public deal promoting Israeli business interests, for example, because he was trying to avoid crowds that may have Omicron variant carriers in them. In the end, ironically, someone on his plane – not his staff, which means it was security or an El Al crew member – tested positive for COVID-19.
Still, sources close to Bennett called the trip a runaway success, praising his ability to create good relations with foreign leaders in one-on-one settings.
Bennett and his aides met with MBZ, as the Emirati leader is known, and his advisers, before the two leaders held a one-on-one meeting, a lunch, and then another meeting for just the two of them, with a total of 4 hours together. READ MORE
