Israel opens up traveling opportunities with other Middle Eastern countries
Standing on the White House’s South Lawn, Israeli, Emirati and Bahraini leaders redefined Middle Eastern history. They had just signed the US sponsored Abraham Accords, an unprecedented agreement that would normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and some of her longest standing adversaries. A culmination of 15 years of tacit relationships and closed door conversations between top officials, the Abraham Accords have arguably proven to be successful. In just over 1.5 years, Israel has gone on to make separate deals with Sudan and Morocco, as well as to recently hold a Negev summit with several of her allies. Here, countries such as Egypt and Jordan were invited to discuss security concerns and explore the potential for collaboration across the Middle East.
For the tourism sector, a trilateral treaty is indeed beneficial. As oil reliant economies look to diversify, the creation of tourist hubs is becoming increasingly appealing. Whilst Israel has specialized in high technology, Emirati cities such as Dubai have capitalized on this type of economic development. Containing renowned architecture and the world’s tallest building—the Burj Khalifa—tourism is expected to account for 11.2% of the UAE’s GDP by 2026. However, under the newly signed Abraham Accords, this figure may increase: both Israel and the UAE have agreed to create information channels that will make cooperation in the tourism sector easier. Perhaps one of the most pertinent examples of this occurred in September 2021, when Ras Al Khaimah, the UAE’s seventh Emirate, became the first to establish a tourism bureau in Israel. A historical trading town with over 1,000 archaeological sites, Ras Al Khaimah is hoping to attract 3 million European and Israeli tourists by the end of the decade.
However, decreased barriers to travel will also benefit consumers. Countries such as Bahrain have substituted outdated bureaucracy in favor of efficiency, replacing the lengthy visa process with a streamlined e-visa. Tourists may now simply apply online and remain in the country for up to a month. The UAE and Israel have taken this one step further, implementing a travel corridor and waiving visas for both Emirati and Israeli tourists entirely. To facilitate this change, Israeli national airline ELAL has offered regular flights between Tel Aviv and the UAE since December 2020.
For many, the Abraham Accords symbolize growing cultural and religious tolerance amongst Middle Eastern countries. Leaders such as Israeli President Herzog have reiterated this, conducting a historic visit to the UAE at the beginning of the year and establishing an embassy in Bahrain’s capital Manama. Attempts to bridge the religious divide between the Jewish state of Israel and her Muslim counterparts have been realised through several initiatives, including a tree planting ceremony in the UAE for Jewish holiday Tu B’Shevat. Conveying solidarity amidst such great geopolitical change will arguably give tourists the confidence for future travel.
