Historic first Jewish circumcision ceremony held in Abu Dhabi

In a historic first, a brit, or circumcision ceremony, for a Jewish infant takes place in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The ceremony is overseen by a Chabad rabbi, Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal, from Berlin.

The family of the baby, who had lived in Berlin for a while, is not identified in media reports.

A small Jewish community lives in the UAE, but its presence only became public this year as the governments of the various emirates, especially Abu Dhabi and Dubai, are trying to show themselves as hubs of international commerce and religious tolerance. The UAE has also grown closer to Israel in recent years amid a shared threat from Iran.

Abu Dhabi is currently constructing the first official synagogue in the emirate, slated to be completed within two years.