News24 | Israel sees ‘huge opportunity’ to expand UAE ties as Middle East war redraws alliances

Israel and the United Arab Emirates are growing closer because of the Middle East war, a senior Israeli official told AFP, citing increased military cooperation and opportunities to increase trade and business ties.

Two Israeli delegations will arrive next week, the Gulf-based official said, including a transport ministry team that will discuss a trade corridor linking India, the Middle East and Europe.

The visits will be the first since the war erupted on 28 February, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran and triggered an Iranian backlash against nearby Gulf countries that host US military bases.

Weeks of drone and missile bombardment drew a hawkish response from the oil-rich UAE, aligning it more closely with Israel, which regards Iran as its arch-enemy.

“This presents an opportunity to enhance ties. We believe in this market... We believe people should come. There’s a lot of opportunity for cooperation,” the Israeli official said late on Monday.

“Israel proved itself a true friend of the UAE when other countries didn’t. Israel came to stand side-by-side... in a country like the UAE, it matters,” the official said.

Abu Dhabi has paid a heavy price for the war, with tourism slumping and energy exports slashed as Iran blockades the key Strait of Hormuz.

READ | Iran warns US: Lebanon ceasefire is non-negotiable as Middle East tensions spiral

But rather than call for a ceasefire, it has insisted on a comprehensive solution that goes beyond a truce and extends to Iran’s missile programme and support for regional proxies.

“I don’t say attack back, but don’t bury your heads in the sand.”

The UAE recognised Israel in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords, breaking with the Arab consensus that the Palestinian question should be resolved before ties are normalised.

Last week, US President Donald Trump demanded that a swathe of countries join the accords as part of a peace deal with Iran.

For the Israeli official, closer Emirati ties will show “the strength of the Abraham Accords, which hopefully will be expanded and create a more peaceful region”.

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