Over the last few months, some have portrayed the Abraham Accords – ratified on September 15, 2020 – as having had their “brief moment in the spotlight,” and suggested that their potential is fading amid changing priorities in Israel, the United States, and the Arab world.
This view, however, does not at all align with the reality on the ground. In some ways, this past year has been the most significant yet for regional normalization, especially at the level of business and people-to-people ties. Whereas the first two years of the Accords were about celebrating the many “firsts” of peace – the first flights, first diplomatic visits, first business engagements, first cultural events – this past year has been about concretizing the relationships made and focusing on a more integrated region.
In the last year, business between Israel and the UAE has exceeded everyone’s expectations for the breadth of our budding commercial ties. We will far exceed $3B in bilateral trade in 2023, not counting the wider trade conducted through the UAE with counterparts across the Arab world, South Asia, and beyond. Trade with Morocco in the first half of this year is up 110% from the same period in 2022, with Bahrain recording a 24% increase. And perhaps most surprising, trade with Egypt and Jordan, with whom Israel has had decades of peace, has tripled and doubled, respectively, since the signing of the Abraham Accords, largely because engaging with Israelis has become destigmatized in the wake of agreements with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.
The notion that the Abraham Accords are somehow stalled, in fact, directly contradicts regional political developments and the burgeoning commercial ties that are being forged across the Middle East.
Political, commercial ties spanning the Middle East
Over the past several months, the potential for peace and normalization with Saudi Arabia has been the talk of Israeli and Western diplomats. While rumors of an imminent deal may be exaggerated, the fact that so much time and attention are being invested in a potential accommodation speaks to how far we have come in the three years since the leaders of the UAE, Bahrain, and Israel gathered on the White House lawn. And while the rumors fly, dozens of Israeli companies are working in Saudi Arabia in the areas of water, agriculture, cybersecurity, and other technology sectors, with an openness that has never before been seen.
The signs of an opening have been there for some time, from Israeli aircrafts flying in Saudi airspace to a willingness to engage in security cooperation with Israel in the Red Sea littoral, and most recently the announcement of an Israeli delegation attending a UNESCO event in Saudi Arabia. An encouraging indication of this new mindset was recently expressed by the Saudi Ambassador to Washington, Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, who stated at the Aspen Ideas Festival, “Vision 2030 talks about a unified, integrated, thriving Middle East, and last I checked, Israel was there.” While overt normalization, such as formal peace agreements, may be some distance away, the process of engagement in commerce and tackling regional challenges is certainly beginning.
Surprisingly, even Qatar is nurturing normalization in the private sector, opening the door for trade and productive relationships between Qatari and Israeli parties and contributing to broader cooperation. Israel’s relationship with Oman adds another dimension. Through their participation in the Middle East Desalination Centre in Muscat, both countries work together to address freshwater scarcity in the region, tapping into Israel’s expertise. These developments reflect the changing dynamics of Middle Eastern politics and hint at a more harmonious future among our nations.
The importance of the Abraham Accords extends beyond the Gulf states. Our first taste of this was when Sudan, a Muslim country that was a key partner of Hezbollah and Hamas, became an Abraham Accords signatory. Chad, a country where Muslim and Christian communities coexist, has notably boosted diplomatic relations with Israel. This partnership gained momentum in 2019 and culminated when Ambassador Ben Bourgel, the Israeli ambassador to numerous African countries, presented his credentials to the president of Chad in May 2022, and President Deby in turn came on a state visit to Israel earlier this year. The conversations progressing with these nations are a remarkable development, scarcely conceivable prior to the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords brought forth a revolutionary approach to peacebuilding, showcasing the potential for diplomatic breakthroughs through shared interests and economic collaboration. The effects have been felt globally, redrawing the security, economic, and political fabric of the region. This new model for diplomatic relations can and will be extended to other nations, fostering broader regional stability. Whatever the naysayers may think, it is clear that the momentum in the region favors an expansion of the Abraham Accords, with commerce, people-to-people engagement, and regional initiatives setting the stage for formal normalization. ■
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum is the deputy mayor of Jerusalem and co-founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council. Dorian Barak is an Israeli-American businessman long active in the Gulf and co-founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council.