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UNIPATH STAFF
To celebrate the anniversary of the agreement that normalizes relations between the two countries, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, visited Israel in September 2022.
Sheikh Abdullah and the accompanying delegation visited Yad Vashem, Israel’s memorial to the victims of the Holocaust established in Jerusalem in 1953.
Commending the role of Yad Vashem in documenting crimes committed against humanity, Sheikh Abdullah emphasized the importance of promoting tolerance and coexistence in the region and to establish peace and help realize peoples’ aspirations for dignified and prosperous lives.
As part of Abraham Accords, the Israel-United Arab Emirates Normalization Agreement was signed in August 2020. The accords were named after the Prophet Abraham to underline the shared origins of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, all known as Abrahamic faiths.
In addition to security cooperation, the agreement opened the door to bilateral economic relations. As a result, trade has increased between the two nations, and thousands of Israeli tourists now visit Dubai and other Emirati cities.
In May 2022, after months of negotiations, the countries signed a historic Free Trade Agreement in Dubai. Although the UAE and Israel have long maintained de facto recognition in terms of business, particularly in artificial intelligence, the defense industry and the diamond trade, the FTA will expand bilateral commercial relations.
The FTA will remove or reduce tariffs on 96% of goods traded between the two countries. Bilateral trade is expected to reach
$10 billion within five years.
As UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani Al Zeyoudi wrote: “Over the past two years, the UAE and Israel have demonstrated what can be achieved when we cast aside our divisions and differences.” Sources: Al Bayan, CNN, The Jerusalem Post