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The Abraham Accords - One Year On
(Khaleej Times-Dubai) Anjana Sankar - Exactly a year ago, the UAE changed the course of Middle Eastern history and became the first GCC country to announce normalization of relations with Israel. A month later, on September 15, in a grand ceremony on the White House lawn, the UAE and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords. Sudan and Morocco later followed and established diplomatic relations with Israel. On November 26, 2020, I boarded the first passenger flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. What awaited us was a warm welcome that journalists on foreign soil do not usually expect. We were lucky to be on the receiving end of Israeli euphoria and optimism about the new peace deal. In the corridors of power as well as on the streets of Tel Aviv, people were thrilled that a UAE journalist was visiting them. The old Jewish couple who invited me for lunch, the young college students who took pictures with me, the taxi driver who promised to call when he comes to Dubai - I was touched by the warmth and humanity on display. Since my visit, both countries have opened embassies. Thousands of Israelis have visited Dubai. A flurry of business and investment deals and cooperation agreements were signed between research institutions, universities, sports clubs, and trade and cultural forums in the UAE and Israel.