UAE Embassy Permanent Complex Approved in Herzliya Pituach
The Tel Aviv District Planning and Building Committee has approved the construction of a permanent 15-story UAE embassy complex in Herzliya Pituach, six years after the normalization of ties.
Six years after the signing of the Abraham Accords and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, the plan for the permanent building of the UAE embassy in Herzliya Pituach has been approved. The Tel Aviv District Planning and Building Committee approved the construction of a building of up to 15 floors, which will include the embassy offices, the ambassador's residence, and housing for the diplomatic staff. The approval of the plan allows for progress in establishing the permanent home of the UAE diplomatic mission in Israel, at a time when relations between the countries are influenced by regional tensions.
The new building will be erected at 9 Sapir Street in the Herzliya Pituach business district, on a plot of approximately 2.5 dunams. The plan allows for construction of up to 15,000 square meters and a height of up to 15 floors. Up to 20% of the building rights will be allocated for the residence of the ambassador and staff on the upper floors. Currently, the embassy operates from temporary offices in Tel Aviv and Herzliya, and the planned structure is intended to serve as a permanent home for its activities.
This approval comes about a year after the district committee decided in October 2025 to deposit the plan. The establishment of the embassy is a project that has been promoted for several years: already in 2021, the Israel Land Authority, at the request of the Prime Minister's Office, began searching for suitable land. The process included examining alternatives and negotiations with various parties, until the selection of the plot in Herzliya Pituach, between Sapir Street and the Coastal Road. An open-air parking lot currently operates on the site.
One of the complex aspects of the project is the regulation of land ownership. The plot is owned by the Herzliya Municipality, and in coordination with the Israel Land Authority, its transfer to state ownership is being promoted, which will allow it to be leased to the UAE. In return, the municipality is expected to receive an alternative plot in the Marina area. The approved plan is a detailed plan, allowing building permits to be issued and work to commence, subject to the completion of the required procedures.
District planner Erez Ben-Eliezer stated that this is an important and significant plan for Herzliya, the Tel Aviv district, and the state of Israel, which enhances uses in the employment zone, deepens international relations, and will contribute to future cooperation. The choice of the embassy's location in the employment zone, in an accessible location, near the international business environment and high-tech centers in the city, is appropriate, and through planning and design flexibility, the embassy will become a significant landmark in the space.
