Emirati, Israeli Female Delegates Meet on Forum in Dubai

A group of Emirati and Israeli female delegates met on Friday in Dubai for the first time as part of the Gulf-Israel Women’s Forum, according to Israel National News.

The UAE-Israel Business Council, which was founded in June, has grown to comprise almost 2,000 members since the announcement in August of the UAE and Israel normalization of political and business relations.

Co-founded by Jerusalem’s Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum and the co-founder of the Jewish Women’s Business Network Justine Zwerling, the group is a pision of the newly formed UAE-Israel Business Council.

“I believe that women are natural peacebuilders", Hassan-Nahoum said.

She added that the Israeli and Emirati women created the Gulf-Israel Women’s Forum in order to facilitate people-to-people, grassroots peacebuilding.

The Israeli official went on to say that it was an honor to host this very memorable and historic meeting of Israeli and Emirati women in Dubai, creating bonds and making a better future for our children.

To date, there are 250 Israeli companies trading with the UAE, and the council aims to help increase that number over the next couple of years.

In September, the energy ministers and tourism officials from the UAE and Israel discussed possible cooperation, travel opportunities, and investment openings.

Also in September, Dubai’s Al-Habtoor Group announced plans to open a representative office in Israel, and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office said it will open its first office outside the UAE in the city of Tel Aviv.

Weeks ago, the UAE and Israel reached a historic agreement to normalize diplomatic relations between them under American auspices.

According to a tripartite joint statement issued by the three countries, US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed on the full normalization of relations between Israel and the UAE.

The statement described the agreement as a "historic diplomatic breakthrough" and affirmed that it would contribute to "consolidating peace in the Middle East region.