Israeli Arabs enjoy fruits of normalization with the Emirates
For some Israeli Arabs the normalization agreement with the United Arab Emirates opens a range of possibilities for both business and tourism.
Egyptian actor and singer Mohamed Ramadan found himself at the center of a storm on social media following his photos in Dubai with Israeli singer Omer Adam and Israeli-Arab soccer player Dia Saba. Both Adam and Saba arrived to Dubai following the normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Still, this controversy does not seem to stop the momentum created by the agreement, including one within the Israeli-Arab public.
In fact, several Israeli Arabs have decided to ride the momentum of the agreement. They have started flying to the Emirates, a destination that up to now had been closed to those with an Israeli passport. Some of them fly for business, others for pleasure.
It started with the Bank Hapoalim initiative that sent Sept. 8 a delegation of 14 businesspeople, among them businessman Ahmad Dabbah from Dir al-Assad, for an official visit to the UAE, which included meetings with the commerce department and representatives from the financial and banking sectors. On Sept. 14, the chairman of the Board of Bank Leumi, Samer Haj Yehia, headed a delegation of businessmen including Ahmad Afifi of Nazareth. At the end of their visit they announced the signing of an agreement with banks from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
So far this month, an increasing number of Israeli-Arab citizens have flown to Dubai to enjoy this beautiful city, which is home to the tallest tower in the world, Burj Khalifa, the largest shopping mall in the world and an indoor ski slope.
