Trump awarded the National Security Medal to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, national security adviser Robert O’Brien, senior adviser Jared Kushner, Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and John Rakolta, US ambassador to the UAE.

“Thanks to the efforts of these individuals, the region will never be the same as it finally moves beyond the conflicts of the past,” the White House said in a statement.

In the past four months, Israel reached deals with the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco as part of what the US calls “the Abraham Accords”.

Senior US officials are hoping to seal one more agreement before Trump’s term expires on Jan 20.

The president’s authority to award the National Security Medal dates to 1953, under an executive order that allows for recognition for major contributions in the field of national security.