2020 has been a decisively exceptional year for the United Arab Emirates. On the one hand, the federation is facing a range of domestic and regional challenges, especially in light of COVID-19 and the drop in global oil prices. On the other, the rapid and practical reactions to the unprecedented questions posed by the post-coronavirus reality have also provided considerable opportunities for the second-largest Arab economy and its growing regional role in the Gulf, North Africa and the Red Sea. In this framework, the agreements recently signed with Tel Aviv under the mediation of Washington have marked a watershed in the Middle East context, probably becoming one of the most strategic developments the region has witnessed in recent times. Through the “Abraham Accords”, the UAE has indeed become the first Gulf state to normalize relations and recognize the state of Israel, as well as paved the way for tangible opportunities, not least the growing possibilities of exchange, cooperation and business. On a broader perspective, this achievement represents an ideal means to strengthen the federation’s political role in the region, as well as its image of a successful development model on the international stage. Undoubtedly, the outcomes of this deal will resonate throughout the Middle East and beyond.
Watch Anwar Gargash, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UAE, in dialogue with Marc Perelman, France 24 and Monica Maggioni, Rai, live at 2 pm CET.
ISPI International