Israel and UAE discuss joining forces to fight cyber threats

The two countries face similar risks because of “the nature of the region, because of the nature of our new, outed relations and because of who we are, economically and technologically strong nations”, he said.

“I think the UAE has a lot to offer to Israel, and I believe, I hope, that Israel can offer a lot to the UAE in the cyber security area,” he added.

The extent to which the two countries should work together on cyber security is like asking newlyweds how many children they wish to have, he said. “As many as [...] we can get.”

Mr Kuwaiti, meanwhile, praised Israel’s prowess in the technology sector and said closer ties could help the UAE on the path to “digital transformation.”

He also said Israel could provide a “new ecosystem” to tackle “many new attacks, many new things that we might not have seen previously.”

Israel's agreements with the UAE and Bahrain have raised hopes for closer ties between Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbours, but Palestinian leaders have reacted with dismay.