After 3-Year Hiatus, UAE Moves To Restore Embassy in Beirut
The United Arab Emirates is preparing to reopen its embassy in Beirut after more than three years, a high-level delegation confirmed during a visit to Lebanon on Monday. The move marks a significant step in mending ties between the Gulf Arab state and Lebanon, following the embassy’s closure in October 2021.
The UAE withdrew its diplomats at the time in solidarity with Saudi Arabia, after a Lebanese minister criticized the Saudi-led coalition’s involvement in Yemen. Saudi officials also cited Hezbollah’s influence over Lebanese politics as a factor in the diplomatic rift. However, much has changed since, with Hezbollah’s leadership decimated and many of its strongholds destroyed during a year-long war with Israel.
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The delegation’s visit comes shortly after UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Lebanon’s newly elected President Joseph Aoun agreed to the embassy’s reopening. “The reopening reflects the UAE’s commitment to supporting stability and development in Lebanon,” the UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Lebanese Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab noted that the UAE and Saudi Arabia are signaling openness to restoring diplomatic relations. “The UAE will reopen its embassy very soon… thus there is hope for us to start a new page in Lebanon,” Bou Saab said in a televised address.
