A high-ranking Emirati delegation arrived in Beirut on Sunday to take the necessary measures for reopening the United Arab Emirates (UAE) embassy in Lebanon, after more than three years of closure, announced the Emirati diplomacy in a statement.

The reopening of the embassy is part of the "strengthening of bilateral relations between the U.A.E. and Lebanon" and reflects the Emirates' desire to "support stability and development in Lebanon, as well as their unwavering commitment to provide comprehensive support to the Lebanese people in various sectors," emphasized the Emirati Foreign Affairs Ministry. It also highlighted "the unwavering position" of its country regarding the "unity, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon, as well as its support for the Lebanese people." It also indicated that the reopening of the Emirati embassy in Beirut "reflected the long-standing fraternal ties between the two countries and their peoples."

This decision follows a telephone call on Saturday between the Emirati President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and his Lebanese counterpart, Joseph Aoun, two days after his election. It comes nearly a month after the U.A.E. diplomatic mission resumed its activities in Damascus following the fall of the Assad regime.

Qordahi controversy and Gaza war

Abu Dhabi had closed its embassy in Beirut in October 2021 during the tenure of former president and founder of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), an ally of Hezbollah, Michel Aoun. The Emirates had recalled their diplomats, as did Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, following controversial remarks made by former Lebanese Information Minister Georges Qordahi regarding the war led by the Riyadh-led coalition in the Yemen conflict. In statements made and recorded before he became minister, Qordahi had openly defended the Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, Riyadh's nemesis. This controversy swelled amid accusations from Gulf states that the Lebanese political scene was infiltrated by Hezbollah.

Relations between Beirut and Abu Dhabi had subsequently improved and, in October 2023, an agreement was reached to reopen the Emirati chancery in Lebanon. However, the events of Oct. 7 and the ensuing war in Lebanon impeded the process. In December, nearly a month after the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, the caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, stated that the security situation in Lebanon was "under control" and that the necessary security measures are "fully implemented" to facilitate the reopening of the Emirati embassy in Lebanon.