The entire building will serve embassy functions, with approximately one-fifth of its space set aside for residential units to accommodate staff and the ambassador.
By Shula Rosen
Plans to construct a permanent home for the United Arab Emirates embassy in Israel took a major step forward last week after the Tel Aviv District Planning and Building Committee approved the project for deposit.
The proposed complex, advanced by the Israel Land Authority, will occupy a 2.5-dunam site at 9 Sapir Street in Herzliya Pituah, between the Coast Road and the city’s industrial zone.
The plot, currently used as a public parking lot, will be transformed into a 15-story structure totaling up to 15,000 square meters.
According to the plan, the entire building will serve embassy functions, with approximately one-fifth of its space set aside for residential units to accommodate staff and the ambassador.
A five-meter security wall will enclose the compound, while a shaded public area will be developed along Sapir Street.
The site will also benefit from its proximity to the Green Line light-rail station expected to open nearby on Abba Even Street.
Erez Ben-Eliezer, a senior planner with the Israel Planning Administration, told Globes the decision was both practical and symbolic.
“This is an important and significant plan for Herzliya, the Tel Aviv District, and the State of Israel,” he said. “It enhances the industrial zone’s land use, strengthens international ties, and supports future cooperation. The location in Herzliya’s business and technology hub is fitting, and the project’s flexible design will make it a landmark in the area.”
The move reflects deepening relations between Israel and the UAE since the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020, which normalized diplomatic ties under U.S. sponsorship.
The UAE established its first embassy in Israel the following year, operating from temporary offices on Arye Shenkar Street, also in Herzliya.
Developing a permanent embassy building represents a further commitment by Abu Dhabi to its long-term diplomatic presence in Israel.
Officials view it as both a practical expansion of diplomatic infrastructure and a visible statement of enduring partnership between the two nations.
The new complex, once completed, will stand as one of the most tangible symbols of the Abraham Accords’ impact on the region’s evolving alliances.
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