Why Israelis flock to the Emirates
The normalization agreement with the Emirates was signed just a few weeks ago, but Israeli businesspeople, athletes and tourists are already flocking there.
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum was very excited as she returned from a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week. The deputy mayor of Jerusalem had all sorts of plans for relations between her city and the UAE. Hassan-Nahoum, who holds the foreign affairs, business development and tourism portfolios in the municipality, flew there to lay the groundwork for Muslim tourism to Israel, which is expected to grow exponentially as a result of the Abraham Accords. Jerusalem is already preparing for hundreds of thousands of Muslim tourists to flood the country once the coronavirus pandemic is finally over.
“These people really want a genuine, warm peace. They were so excited to host us,” Hassan-Nahoum told Al-Monitor, during a conversation that took place upon her return to Israel. During her five-day visit to Dubai, she met with dozens of businesspeople and senior government officials. “I’ve never been received so warmly anywhere else in the world. We will see the economic benefits of this peace very soon. Israel and the UAE have the two most advanced economies in the Middle East. This will open new worlds for us and tourism will be a powerful economic engine of growth.”
Hassan-Nahoum believes that Muslim tourism to Israel will thrive, just like Christian tourism and pilgrimages to the holy sites. Inevitably, the main attraction for Muslims will be the Temple Mount.
Hassan-Nahoum also founded an Israel-UAE Business Council to allow businesspeople and entrepreneurs from both countries to connect. Some 2,500 people have registered for this online platform, and collaborations in fields like technology and energy are already being made. She also founded a joint Israel-Gulf Women’s Forum, and delivered a message from East Jerusalem’s Arab population to senior officials in the UAE, asking them to use the peace to improve their economic standing. All of these initiatives were launched simultaneously. Next week, Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon is expected to pay an official visit to Abu Dhabi.
