Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Sunday appointed Amir Hayek as Israel's permanent ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

Hayek is currently the president of the Israel Hotel Association and previously headed the Manufacturers' Association of Israel and was Director General of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor.

"Amir Hayek has a lot of experience and a good knowledge of the fields of economy and tourism. He will be the right person to establish the bridge between Israel and the United Arab Emirates," Lapid said.

Lapid indicated that the UAE-Israel relationship is a top priority for the Foreign Ministry.

Israel signed normalization agreements with both Bahrain and the UAE last year, as part of the Abraham Accords initiated by the administration of former US President Donald Trump.

Earlier this month, the UAE officially inaugurated its embassy in Tel Aviv in a ceremony hosted by UAE Ambassador to Israel Mohammad al Khaja.

Lapid recently became the first Israeli minister to embark on an official visit to the UAE, where he officially inaugurated Israel’s embassy and consulate in Dubai.

Last week, a day after he assumed office, Lapid spoke to the UAE Foreign Minister.

"I look forward to working with him to build on the warm and unique relations between our two countries for the benefit of our peoples and the entire Middle East," tweeted Lapid after the conversation.