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AAPI Monthly Newsletters

AAPI Newsletter: January 2022

January 30, 2022

By Abraham Accords Peace Institute

The historic Abraham Accords peace agreements have created unprecedented opportunities to strengthen economic, cultural and people-to-people ties between the Accords countries and beyond. AAPI’s monthly newsletter will provide insights into the development of these ties, updates regarding past and upcoming AAPI initiatives, and information on opportunities to participate in strengthening the Abraham Accords.

Follow along below and each month as we track regional progress and provide you with a one-stop information hub on the Abraham Accords.

January Developments:

Following a year of historic deepening of relations between Abraham Accords countries for the year 2021, the first month of 2022 saw continued momentum towards the expansion of ties.

January featured numerous indications of widespread international support for the Accords, with the announcements of the launch of the United States Congressional Abraham Accords Caucus and the Ambassadorial Abraham Accords Working Group, along with the visit of the UK Abraham Accords Group to the UAE.

Emirati investment in Israeli technology continued with the award of a major contract to an Israeli firm, reports of major investments in venture capital firms in Israel’s technology sector, and the establishment of a joint Israel-UAE R&D fund. The end of the month saw significant developments in the healthcare sector, as Israeli companies traveled to Dubai to attend a major medical technology exhibition, the Abu Dhabi Department of Heath announced a collaboration with the Israel Innovation Authority, and the Gulf-Israel Woman’s Forum hosted a Women’s health event.

January also saw cultural ties continue to deepen, with Holocaust Remembrance day being observed in numerous Accords countries, tree plantings occurring for the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shevat, and the launch of a campaign to restore a Jewish cemetery in Bahrain. People-to-People connections between Israel and Morocco expanded with the historic signing of an Israeli professional basketball player to play for a Moroccan team, the signing of a cooperation agreement between the two countries’ basketball leagues, and the participation of Moroccan musicians in a prominent Israeli orchestra.

  • January 30, 2022 - Israeli President Isaac Herzog was received by Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed (MBZ) in Abu Dhabi after arriving on the first presidential state visit to the United Arab Emirates.
  • January 26, 2022 - United States Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides launched the Ambassadorial Abraham Accords Working Group to strengthen the Accords. At the inaugural meeting, the United States and Israel agreed to establish a joint professional working team to promote tourism ventures between Israel, the United States, and the Arab countries with normalized relations with Israel.
  • January 26, 2022 - The Abu Dhabi Department of Health and the Israel Innovation Authority announced a collaboration to promote cooperation on technological innovation in the fields of health and bio-convergence.
  • January 25, 2022 - The Gulf-Israel Women’s Forum hosted a Women’s Health Webinar with representatives from Bahrain, the UAE, and Israel.
  • January 24-27, 2022 - Holocaust Remembrance day was observed within Bahrain, UAE, and for the first time ever in Egypt.
  • January 24-27, 2022 - Representatives of 11 Israeli companies traveled to Dubai to attend ArabHealth 2022, an annual medical technologies exhibition that showcases innovations in healthcare.
  • January 23, 2022 - A joint Israel-UAE R&D fund to support tech projects involving Israeli and Emirati companies was officially established.
  • January 20, 2022 - Israel’s and Morocco’s basketball associations agreed to sign a cooperation agreement, the first of its kind between Israel and an Arab nation.
  • January 18, 2022 - Five Moroccan musicians have joined the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra for a nation-wide tour.
  • January 17, 2022 - SupPlant, an Israeli precision agriculture and “smart farming” company announced that it will expand to Morocco
  • January 16, 2022 - The Association of Gulf Jewish Communities launched a fundraising campaign to restore a 100-year-old Jewish cemetery in Bahrain.
  • January 16, 2022 - Special tree plantings occurred in the UAE for the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shevat.
  • January 14, 2022 -The Wall Street Journal reported that Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi sovereign-wealth fund, has invested roughly $100 million in venture capital firms in Israel’s technology sector.
  • January 11,2022 - An Israeli professional basketball player made history by becoming the first ever Israeli to play for an Arab team when he signed a contract with a Moroccan professional basketball team.
  • January 10, 2022 - The bipartisan, bicameral U.S. Congressional Abraham Accords Caucus was launched. The caucus’s co-chairs are Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), David Trone (D-MD), Ann Wagner (R-MO) and Brad Schneider (D-IL).
  • January 8-13, 2022 - The UK Abraham Accords Group and its Chairman, former Defense Secretary Liam Fox, led a delegation from the UK Parliament that travelled to the UAE to meet with Emirati leaders, leaders of the business community, members of the Jewish community, and youth groups. During the trip, the UK Abraham Accords Group met with UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed and signed a cooperation agreement with Sharaka.
  • January 3, 2022- Israel’s Elbit System’s Emirati subsidiary was awarded a $53 million dollar contract to supply Direct Infrared Countermeasures (“DIRCM”) and airborne Electronic Warfare (“EW”) systems to the UAE Air Force.

Upcoming Events:

The upcoming months will doubtless see the momentum behind the expansion of relations between Accords countries continue to increase. Abraham Accords related events addressing the potential of the Accords will occur within the region, internationally, and virtually. Additionally, dozens of conferences will occur within the region. These events will be hosted or attended by Accords member nations, feature the display of innovative technology and ideas that promise to facilitate regional cooperation, and result in new agreements being signed. See below for a timeline of upcoming notable regional events:

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