Prime Minister Naftali Bennett departed to Bahrain on Monday in what was to be the first visit of its kind by an Israeli leader to the Gulf kingdom.
Bennett will meet King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also the prime minister.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Speaking to reporters before take-off, Bennett said he hoped the visit would be a "message of goodwill ... and a shared stance against common threats".
The crown prince and Bennett met in the Glasgow COP26 climate conference in November, during which the former invited the Israeli leader to make a historic visit, a year after the two nations announced they would establish official ties.
According to the Prime Minister's Office, Bennett and his counterpart will talk about ways to build on the normalization deal and on "the importance of peace, development and prosperity in the region, particularly in advancing economic and diplomatic matters, with a focus on technology and innovation."
Bennett is expected to meet with the ministers of finance, foreign affairs, and other key government officials, as well as with leaders of the Jewish community.
The two countries had reportedly long enjoyed clandestine security ties over a shared distrust of regional rival Iran, but only in 2020 did they make their relationship public after then-President Donald Trump brokered the Abraham Accords, a series of normalization deals between Israel and four Arab countries: Morocco, United Arab Emirates and Sudan.
In September, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visited the kingdom and signed various bilateral deals. Defense Minister Benny Gantz has also visited the country recently.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!