Representatives of Israel and UAE discuss investment opportunities in Dubai

According to details, both sides aimed to further strengthen ties nine months following the normalization of ties between the two countries.

“It’s happening and it didn’t happen before. If you would have spoken to me a year ago, I wouldn’t have guessed that [we] will speak here today in Dubai about all of these things that are happening,” said Israeli Ambassador Eitan Na’eh, who is based in Abu Dhabi.

The Director General of Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Tariq Bin Hendi, told the audience that his country has “helped Israeli companies set up in the UAE”.

The conversations were focused on business, boosting tourism, creating employment, technology sharing, diversifying economies and tackling issues of water scarcity; however, there was little mentioning of Palestinians or the situation in Gaza less than two weeks ago.

The 11-day violence in Gaza ended with an inconclusive ceasefire on May 21, leaving 254 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip dead, including 67 children and 22 people from the same family, aged six months to 89 years.

On the other hand, in only nine months, more than $354 million was traded between the two countries along with 25 signed agreements in more than 15 sectors, the Associated Press reported.

Both countries started formalizing their ties in September, 2020 and ever since then thousands of Israeli tourists have visited United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai and Abu Dhabi being the hot spots for tourism.