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UAE-Israel trade already tops last year

The increase in bilateral trade follows the signing of a trade agreement.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images
A pair of shoes worth $19.9 million are seen during the launch presentation at the Dubai Marina on Oct. 11, 2019, in Dubai. — GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Trade between the United Arab Emirates and Israel has increased considerably this year, according to recent comments from an Israeli diplomat. 

Israel’s ambassador to the UAE, Amir Hayek, tweeted Thursday that bilateral trade during the first seven months of 2022 reached $1.407 billion. In the entirety of 2021, trade amounted to $1.221 billion. These figures exclude software, Hayek said. 

UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Thani Al Zeyoubi commented on the news Friday, tweeting, “The potential is huge” and that the recent UAE-Israel trade agreement “will be a powerful engine of growth.”

Why it matters: Israel and the UAE established full diplomatic relations in 2020 as part of the Trump administration-brokered Abraham Accords. Since then, the two countries have continuously strengthened their relations, especially in the economic and technology sectors. 

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