The Tel Aviv District Planning and Building Committee, the regional planning authority for the Tel Aviv area, on Tuesday cleared the way for a permanent United Arab Emirates embassy in Israel. It approved a building of up to 15 stories at 9 Sapir Street in Herzliya Pituach, YWN reported. Israel and the UAE opened diplomatic ties under the Abraham Accords in 2020.
The tower will hold the embassy's offices and homes for the ambassador and the diplomatic staff. It will take the place of the temporary offices the embassy now runs in Tel Aviv and Herzliya.
The approval marks a significant step in cementing the UAE's diplomatic presence in Israel, with the new building expected to become a prominent landmark in Herzliya's business district near major high-tech centers.
The plan, promoted by the Israel Land Authority, covers 2.5 dunams in Herzliya Pituach's business district and caps total floor space at 15,000 square meters, Globes reported. Up to 20 percent of the permitted building area is reserved for apartments for the ambassador and embassy employees, located on the top floors, The New Arab reported.
The plan provides for a separate entrance to an underground parking garage and an expanded public walkway along Sapir Street, with shade trees and improved pedestrian access.
The land is currently owned by Herzliya municipality, with arrangements underway to transfer ownership to the state through coordination with the Israel Land Authority, the government agency that manages state land, before leasing it to the UAE. In exchange, the municipality would receive an alternative plot near the marina, the outlet reported.
Architect Erez Ben Eliezer, the Tel Aviv district planner, said the embassy would deepen international ties and open the door to future cooperation. He also said its position in the business district, close to high-tech centers, would turn it into a prominent local landmark.
In October 2025, the Post reported that the permanent embassy would be built in Herzliya, after Mayor Yariv Fisher confirmed the location. "We welcome the fact that the building of the embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Israel will be constructed in Herzliya," Fisher said. At the time, the Israel Land Authority said the Prime Minister's Office had asked it to find a permanent site. "The process of locating the land was complex and included negotiations with various parties," the authority said.
