By Anees Barghouti

JERUSALEM

A high-ranking Israeli official paid an unpublicized visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week, Israeli media reported on Friday.

According to Israel’s Channel 2, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon visited Dubai earlier this week where he participated in a UN development conference.

"Danon visited the Emirates and participated in the conference as chairman of the UN’s legal committee," the broadcaster reported.

His visit, Channel 2 added, "was conducted secretly and under heavy security".

In November of last year, Israel opened a diplomatic office in the UAE, which -- technically -- does not recognize Israel.

The office is ostensibly meant to represent Israeli interests at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the headquarters of which is in UAE capital Abu Dhabi.

Danon’s visit this week was not the first by an Israeli official to the oil-rich Arab country.

In 2014, Silvan Shalom, Israel’s then-infrastructure minister, paid the first-ever visit to Abu Dhabi by an Israeli official.

The region’s Arabic- and Hebrew-language press has recently reported on a number of behind-the-scenes meetings between Israeli and Arab officials.

In June of this year, Anwar Eshki, a former Saudi army general, visited the Jewish state, where he met with several Israeli political and military officials.