CROSSING BRIDGES WORDS VARUN GODINHO
As the number of tourists from Israel to the UAE approaches the half-amillion mark, Israel too is ramping up measures to attract visitors from the UAE and the Middle East
T
he Abraham Accords signed two years ago opened the floodgates to levels of cooperation between Israel and the UAE that have been nothing short of historic. Trade mushroomed between the two countries and in May this year, they signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that aimed to catapult the value of non-oil bilateral trade to over US$10 billion within five years. While the two countries have made deep joint investments in research, technology and financial services, tourism is among the areas that are increasingly ripe for cooperation. “In signing the Accords, both nations [the UAE and Israel], along with fellow signatories Bahrain and (subsequently) Morocco, were counting on tourism as a critical factor in building economic ties. Tourism and related businesses account for some seven per cent of Israel’s gross domestic product. [By] signing the Abraham Accords in September 2020 and eliminating the need for a visa, we have noticed increased interest from both sides in exploring [each other’s] destinations,” says Larissa Samoilovich (pictured right), director of new markets development at the Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT). DECEMBER 2022
An estimated 450,000 Israeli tourists are believed to have visited the UAE over the past two years, the Israeli ambassador to the UAE told state news agency WAM in September. UAE businesses – including carriers, tour operators, and hotels – responded swiftly to cater to this demand for inbound travel from Israel. Israel and the UAE signed aviation cooperation agreements. Flydubai became the first airline to begin scheduled commercial flights from the UAE to Israel. Other major UAE carriers followed suit including Etihad in April 2021. In June this year, Emirates launched its daily services to Tel Aviv. A month later, it added a second daily service to Tel Aviv to keep up with the soaring demand. There are around 70 weekly flights overall between the UAE and Israel. To cater specifically to the demand for kosher food in the UAE, Kosher Arabia, a joint venture between Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) and CCL Holdings, became one of the earliest registered and certified producers of kosher food in the country. It also opened a new catering facility in Dubai last year. Kosher Arabia, with its facility located in Dubai World Central, can prepare 2,000 meals daily and is certified by the Kashrut Division of the Orthodox Union (OU).
