The Vice President of the Parliament and Foreign Affairs Minister of the Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (right), receiving in Abu Dhabi the Lebanese Energy Minister, Joe Saddi (left), as well as the Culture Minister, Ghassan Salameh, on Sept. 8, 2025. (Credit: National News Agency)
The president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has appointed a new ambassador to Lebanon, Fadhl Salem Said al-Kaabi, who was sworn in before him, according to reports Monday from Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) and the Emirates News Agency (WAM). The Emirati president also received the credentials of several ambassadors, including Lebanon’s ambassador to the UAE, Tarek Mneimneh.
Also on Monday, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Lebanese Energy Minister Joe Saddi and Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh in Abu Dhabi. According to the NNA, discussions focused on bilateral relations and ways to enhance them, as well as Lebanon’s energy sector and possible investment opportunities in the field.
The UAE announced in January 2025 that it would reopen its embassy in Lebanon, which had been closed since 2021 amid tensions with Hezbollah and its allies. That year, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait recalled their diplomats from Lebanon following controversial remarks by former Lebanese Information Minister Georges Qordahi about Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen.
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