In the span of just five years, the Abraham Accords have transformed from a historic diplomatic handshake into a multi-billion dollar economic engine, reshaping trade, travel, and alliances across the Middle East.
Key Takeaways
- The Abraham Accords were signed on September 15, 2020, between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, with Morocco and Sudan joining shortly thereafter.
- The UAE and Bahrain became the first Arab countries to formally recognize Israel since Jordan in 1994.
- The Abraham Accords represented the first formal normalization of Arab-Israeli diplomatic relations since Israel's 1994 peace treaty with Jordan and the 1979 Egypt-Israel agreement following negotiations at Camp David.
- Trade between Israel and Arab countries of the Middle East grew by 234 percent in the first seven months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, even excluding tourism and services.
- Trade between Israel and the UAE increased from $50.8 million in the first seven months of 2020 to $613.9 million in the first seven months of 2021.
- Total trade between Israel and the Abraham Accords countries increased from $593 million in 2019 to $3.47 billion in 2022.
- By 2023, more than 1 million Israelis had visited the UAE, supported by 106 weekly direct flights.
- Only about 1,600 Emiratis had traveled to Israel since normalization as of 2023, and this figure dropped even further after October 7, 2023.
- In 2022, approximately 2,700 Israelis visited Bahrain versus 400 Bahrainis visiting Israel.
- Israel's defense exports in 2024 reached a record $14.8 billion, with Abraham Accords countries accounting for 12% of exports — up from just 3% in 2023.
- In 2024 alone, signatories of the Accords accounted for 12 percent of Israel's nearly $15 billion in arms exports.
- Arab states accounted for 24% of Israel's $12.5 billion in defense exports in the year prior to 2023.
- The UAE earmarked a $10 billion investment fund in Israel focused on strategic industries including energy, water, space, healthcare, agri-tech, AI, and blockchain, announced following a March call between Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Israeli PM Netanyahu.
- In November 2021, OurCrowd Arabia became the first Israeli venture capital firm to receive a license from the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), making it the first-ever Israeli VC to obtain licensed status with ADGM.
- OurCrowd had received over $1.8 billion in commitments and had deployed capital into more than 280 portfolio companies and 30 funds across five continents as of 2021.
Normalization deals dramatically boosted trade and diplomatic ties between Israel and Arab states.
Defense & Security Cooperation
1Israel's defense exports in 2024 reached a record $14.8 billion, with Abraham Accords countries accounting for 12% of exports — up from just 3% in 2023.
Verified2In 2024 alone, signatories of the Accords accounted for 12 percent of Israel's nearly $15 billion in arms exports.
Verified3Arab states accounted for 24% of Israel's $12.5 billion in defense exports in the year prior to 2023.
Verified4Morocco has purchased Israeli military equipment worth approximately $2 billion since signing the Abraham Accords.
Directional5According to SIPRI data, about 11% of Morocco's defense imports come from Israel.
Single source6In November 2021, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz signed a joint security understandings agreement with Moroccan defense minister Abdellatif Loudiyi — the first time Israel openly signed such an agreement with an Arab state.
Verified7Morocco signed a memorandum of understanding on defense with Israel in 2021, leading to a series of arms deals encompassing advanced drones, air-defense systems, and intelligence satellites.
Verified8In 2022, Bahrain finalized the first official security agreement between Israel and a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Verified9Bahrain's defense ties with Israel include intelligence training and drone sales from Israel to Bahrain.
Directional10In January 2021, the US Department of Defense transferred Israel from the US European Command area of responsibility to that of the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
Single source11In November 2021, US Naval Forces Central Command conducted the first publicly acknowledged multilateral military exercise between Abraham Accords signatories in the Red Sea alongside forces from Bahrain, the UAE, and Israel.
Verified12Reports indicate that Israel supplied the UAE with missile defense batteries in early 2022 against the backdrop of Houthi rebel attacks from Yemen.
Verified13Morocco became the first of the Abraham Accords cohort to sign its own bilateral cyber defense agreement in 2021.
Verified14Security cooperation between Morocco and Israel expanded to include air defense and electronic warfare in January 2023.
Directional15In March 2021, the UAE's state-owned EDGE Group agreed an MoU with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to develop an advanced counter-unmanned aircraft system for the UAE market and the wider MENA region.
Single source16Israel reportedly exported about 25% of all domestically produced defense products to Abraham Accords signatory countries, representing a 50% increase from the previous three years.
Verified17The UAE allowed Israeli companies to participate in its international arms exhibition in February 2025, despite broader political tensions over the Gaza war.
Verified18Elbit Systems was awarded a $53 million public contract to supply defense systems to the UAE air force, and subsequently established a subsidiary in the UAE.
Verified19Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company invested up to $20 million in six venture capital companies from the tech sector in Israel as part of defense-tech exchange.
Directional20In 2021, Morocco took part in a cybersecurity attack simulation organized by the Israel National Cyber Directorate at its pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai.
Single source21The Abraham Accords facilitated the creation of the US-led integrated regional air-defense shield to counter the missile threat from Iran, first prominently tested in April 2024 when Iran directly targeted Israel with mass missile and drone salvos.
Verified22The Bahrain and UAE participating in naval exercises alongside Israel marked a significant operational integration of Abraham Accords states under the US security umbrella.
Verified23Israel's cyber industry raised $8.8 billion in over 100 different deals in 2021 — triple the amount from the previous year — with the Abraham Accords opening Gulf markets to Israeli cyber companies.
Verified24In October 2025, organizers of the Dubai Airshow announced that Israeli security and defense companies would not participate in the event, viewed as reflecting growing political sensitivities between the UAE and Israel in the aftermath of the Gaza war.
Directional25By 2016, summits and conferences between high-ranking Israeli and Arab politicians and direct contacts between their security and intelligence services had not only become routine but were openly acknowledged, paving the way for the Accords.
Single source26By 2017, unofficial cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia had been ongoing for at least 5 years, with intelligence services from both countries assisting each other.
VerifiedDefense & Security Cooperation Interpretation
The data shows that while the Abraham Accords were signed in meeting rooms, their true foundation is being cemented in arms deals, joint exercises, and a quiet but prolific trade in the tools of security, proving that nothing builds a new friendship like a shared enemy and a mutual interest in advanced weaponry.
Diplomatic & Political Milestones
1The Abraham Accords were signed on September 15, 2020, between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, with Morocco and Sudan joining shortly thereafter.
Verified2The UAE and Bahrain became the first Arab countries to formally recognize Israel since Jordan in 1994.
Verified3The Abraham Accords represented the first formal normalization of Arab-Israeli diplomatic relations since Israel's 1994 peace treaty with Jordan and the 1979 Egypt-Israel agreement following negotiations at Camp David.
Verified4Sudan agreed to pay US$335 million in compensation to American victims of terror as part of its normalization agreement.
Directional5As part of Sudan's normalization agreement, the US removed Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism and gave it a US$1.2 billion loan to help clear its debts to the World Bank.
Single source6Morocco signed the Abraham Accords Declaration on December 22, 2020, becoming the sixth Arab League country to normalize ties with Israel.
Verified7Kazakhstan formally joined the Abraham Accords on November 6, 2025, marking the first expansion of the framework into Central Asia.
Verified8In December 2025, Netanyahu expanded the accords on his own initiative after Israel recognized Somaliland as an independent country, with Somaliland pledging to join the accords.
Verified9In July 2025, the second Trump administration was seeking to expand the Accords to include Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia.
Directional10US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff suggested up to six countries could join the Accords, including Libya, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.
Single source11In January 2022, a bipartisan group of US representatives founded the House Abraham Accords Caucus to strengthen the existing agreements and lay the groundwork for further normalization deals.
Verified12In March 2021, a group of 18 US senators introduced a bill to aid the State Department in developing a strategy to strengthen and expand the Abraham Accords.
Verified13The inaugural Negev Forum conference was hosted by Israel in March 2022, with the foreign ministers of Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, the UAE, and the US traveling to Israel — a first for the Emirati, Bahraini, and Moroccan foreign ministers.
Verified14The January 2023 Negev Forum working group meeting in Abu Dhabi was the largest single gathering of Arab and Israeli officials since the 1991 Madrid peace conference.
Directional15None of the Abraham Accords signatory states cut off or formally suspended relations with Israel, even during the Gaza war.
Single source16Bahrain's parliament suspended relations with Israel in November 2023 and recalled the Bahraini ambassador, but this was largely symbolic as the executive branch retains control over the country's foreign relations.
Verified17In August 2020, the UAE for the first time established telephone links to Israel by unblocking direct dialing to Israel's +972 country code.
Verified18Morocco and Israel established low-level diplomatic relations during the 1990s, which were suspended after the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, before being restored via the Abraham Accords.
Verified19Direct flights between Israel and Morocco began in July 2021, following the signing of the normalization agreement in December 2020.
Directional20Sudan signed the Abraham Accords Declaration on January 6, 2021, during a visit by the US Secretary of the Treasury, but the bilateral agreement with Israel was never signed due to internal instability.
Single source21As part of Kazakhstan joining the Abraham Accords, Astana and Washington signed 29 deals reportedly worth $17 billion.
Verified22The Bahrain-Abraham Accords document is one page long with many trade agreements signed weeks later, while the UAE-Israel agreement is seven pages long with specifics in civil aviation, tourism, water, and more.
Verified23The 2023 Negev Forum working group in Abu Dhabi included "initiatives that could strengthen the Palestinian economy and improve the quality of life of the Palestinian people" — the largest single gathering of Arab and Israeli officials since the 1991 Madrid peace conference.
VerifiedDiplomatic & Political Milestones Interpretation
The Abraham Accords have proven remarkably sticky, surviving regional turbulence not with grand romantic gestures, but through the pragmatic glue of dial tones, trade deals, and the quiet understanding that a new embassy is harder to close than a parliament is to appease.
Public Opinion & Social Impact
1Surveys show that in Arab countries that have signed normalization agreements with Israel, the majority of citizens view the Abraham Accords negatively.
Verified2In November 2022, 76% of Saudi respondents said they had negative views of the Abraham Accords.
Verified3More than two-thirds of citizens in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE viewed the Abraham Accords unfavorably less than two years after their signing, per TWI polling from March 2022.
Verified4As of March 2022, the percentage of people who see the Accords in a positive light hovered between 19% to 25% in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE.
Directional5In November 2020, Emirati and Bahraini attitudes on the Abraham Accords were effectively split — about 47% of Emiratis saw the accords as positive while 49% saw them in a negative light.
Single source6When first polled in November 2020, about 40% of Saudis and Qataris supported the Abraham Accords; this support later fell sharply.
Verified7Decline in popular support for normalization among Bahrainis dropped from 45% approval in November 2020 to just 20% in March 2023.
Verified8In the Arab Opinion poll, only 20% of Moroccans agreed with their government's recognition of Israel, while 67% opposed it.
Verified9When polled in 2018, approximately 44% of Emiratis "strongly disagreed" with the idea of Arab states working with Israel on technology, counter-terrorism, and containing Iran — the very basis of the Abraham Accords.
Directional10In Arab Barometer surveys conducted in 2023–2024, at least 10% of adult respondents in every country surveyed reported having taken part in a demonstration in the past year, largely driven by the Gaza conflict and opposition to normalization.
Single source11In Arab Barometer's March 2024 survey in Kuwait, 84% reported boycotting companies supporting Israel, 62% donated to support Gazans, 40% shared pro-Palestinian messages online, and 22% participated in public solidarity activities.
Verified12An average of 80% of respondents across Abraham Accords countries expressed opposition to normalization in Washington Institute surveys conducted in 2022.
Verified1384% of those polled in 14 Arab countries between June and December 2022 expressed opposition to their governments' normalizing relations with Israel.
Verified14An overwhelming 96% of Libyan respondents to the Arab Opinion Index 2022 expressed opposition to normalization with Israel prior to the controversial meeting in Rome between Israel and Libya's foreign minister.
Directional15In none of the seven countries surveyed by Arab Barometer in 2023–2024 do more than 13% of citizens say they are in favor of normalization with Israel.
Single source16The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) found that 86% of Palestinians believe that the Abraham Accords benefit only Israel.
Verified17When compared to an average of 16% of other Arab publics in an April 2023 poll who viewed the Abraham Accords as positive, nearly half of Palestinians (residing in certain areas) viewed the Accords positively.
Verified18Support for normalization was significantly higher in Morocco (31%) and Sudan (39%) about a year after the agreements were signed compared to other countries.
Verified19Nearly 50% of Arab respondents attributed their opposition to normalization to the Israeli occupation and oppression of Palestinians, according to the Arab Opinion Index.
Directional20Opposition to allowing business or sports ties with Israelis reaches 85% in Egypt and 87% in Jordan despite longstanding official peace relations with Israel.
Single source2194% of Kuwaitis and 93% of Lebanese surveyed disagreed with the notion of allowing business or sports ties with Israelis.
Verified22Support in Lebanon for normalization dropped from about a quarter in 2020 to 13% in 2022, per Washington Institute polling.
Verified23In the 12 countries in the Arab Barometer 2012-2014 survey, only 20.4% of respondents believed the Arab world should accept Israel, while 79.6% believed it should not.
Verified24In Morocco, support for normalization fell sharply post-October 7, with the Gaza war described as fundamentally shifting attitudes, making a warm peace "appear impossible to achieve," per Arab Barometer.
Directional25In Arab Barometer's 2022 surveys, average support for recognition of Israel across the region was just 7.5%, representing a slight increase from 6% in 2014 but a decline from 10% in 2016.
Single source26Among Emiratis under 30, 43% supported the proposition of having business or sports contacts with Israelis — slightly ahead of Bahrainis (37%) and Saudis (37%), and far ahead of Jordanians (7%) and Egyptians (8%).
Verified27When polled in November 2020, Emiratis were slightly more likely to be "strongly" in favor of the Abraham Accords than their Bahraini counterparts, at 19% versus 15%.
Verified28In October 2018, two Israeli judokas won gold medals at the 2018 Judo Grand Slam Abu Dhabi, and Israel's national anthem was played during the award ceremonies — a first at Gulf state sporting events.
VerifiedPublic Opinion & Social Impact Interpretation
The statistics reveal a stark reality: the Abraham Accords were a triumph of diplomatic architecture built upon the very unsteady ground of profound and persistent public disapproval across the Arab world.
Technology & Innovation
1The UAE earmarked a $10 billion investment fund in Israel focused on strategic industries including energy, water, space, healthcare, agri-tech, AI, and blockchain, announced following a March call between Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Israeli PM Netanyahu.
Verified2In November 2021, OurCrowd Arabia became the first Israeli venture capital firm to receive a license from the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), making it the first-ever Israeli VC to obtain licensed status with ADGM.
Verified3OurCrowd had received over $1.8 billion in commitments and had deployed capital into more than 280 portfolio companies and 30 funds across five continents as of 2021.
Verified4Israel specializes in AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, and quantum computing, while the UAE holds a comparative advantage in digital transformation and smart cities — complementary capabilities that have driven tech cooperation under the Abraham Accords.
Directional5The UAE ICT spending is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8% during 2019–2024 to reach $23 billion in 2024.
Single source6In Saudi Arabia, International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that spending on IT exceeded $11.1 billion in 2021 with an annual growth rate of 4.2%.
Verified7Since 2021, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems headed a consortium of Israeli cybersecurity companies in Dubai to help secure contracts with the UAE.
Verified8In April 2021, UAE cyber chief Mohamed al-Kuwaiti confirmed that the UAE and Israel shared intelligence on Hezbollah's cyber activities, an early concrete outcome of Abraham Accords cybersecurity cooperation.
Verified9Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi launched the "UAE-IL tech zone," an initiative aimed at building connections focused on technology-related ventures.
Directional10In November 2022, two Israeli companies — OurCrowd and Liquidity Group — joined a $545 million Abu Dhabi government incentive program for innovation-focused firms in agtech, IT, health services, biopharma, and fintech.
Single source11Cellebrite signed a $3 million deal with a government agency in Abu Dhabi in 2020 — one of the earliest formalized tech deals between Israel and the UAE under the Abraham Accords framework.
Verified12Morocco's Gaia Energy Systems and Israel's H2Pro signed a strategic agreement to produce green hydrogen, with Moroccan scientists carrying out research in Israeli universities.
Verified13The Negev Forum established six working groups in March 2022, covering security, energy, tourism, health, education, water, and food security, institutionalizing multilateral tech and innovation cooperation.
Verified14In July 2022, Israel, India, the UAE, and the US created the I2U2 Group to collaborate in water, food, transportation, energy, space, and health, stimulating economic cooperation in the Middle East and South Asia.
Directional15The UAE-Israel "Water for Energy" deal under Project Prosperity Green envisioned solar photovoltaic plants with a total capacity of 600 MW to be built in Jordan by 2026, with clean power exported to Israel.
Single source16Under Project Prosperity Blue, Israel committed to providing Jordan with up to 200 million cubic meters of desalinated water annually, with all electricity from the solar plant sold to Israel for $180 million per year.
Verified17Masdar and EDF Renewables Israel are jointly invested in projects in the UAE, including the Al Dhafra solar project in Abu Dhabi — which will be the largest single-site solar plant in the world on completion.
Verified18In November 2022, at the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Conference, Israel, Jordan, and the UAE signed a memorandum of understanding to accelerate implementation of the solar-water project, which was later suspended due to the Gaza war.
Verified19In November 2021, Israel, the UAE, and Jordan signed a letter of intent for the sale of 600 MW of electricity to Israel annually, produced by solar farms in Jordan to be built by UAE government-owned Masdar.
Directional20A $36 billion natural gas deal involving Israel, Egypt, and American partners further cemented post-Accords regional energy ties.
Single source21The UAE, Israel, India, and the US established the I2U2 Group in July 2022 to collaborate across food security, clean energy, technology, and trade.
Verified22In November 2021, Israel, the Emirates, and Jordan signed a letter of intent for the sale of 600 MW of electricity to Israel annually under what became known as the "Water for Electricity" deal.
Verified23The Israel-Jordan-UAE largest-ever cooperation agreement was signed at the Dubai Expo in November 2021, with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and US Climate Envoy John Kerry present at the signing ceremony.
VerifiedTechnology & Innovation Interpretation
While the ink was drying on the peace deal, the real signature was a flood of venture capital, cyber intelligence, and solar panels, proving that nothing unites former adversaries like a shared interest in money, security, and air conditioning.
Tourism & People-to-People Ties
1By 2023, more than 1 million Israelis had visited the UAE, supported by 106 weekly direct flights.
Verified2Only about 1,600 Emiratis had traveled to Israel since normalization as of 2023, and this figure dropped even further after October 7, 2023.
Verified3In 2022, approximately 2,700 Israelis visited Bahrain versus 400 Bahrainis visiting Israel.
Verified4Bahrain opened its airspace to facilitate traffic between the two countries, though only a few hundred Bahrainis visited Israel in the early years of normalization.
Directional5Some 5,200 tourists entered Israel from the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, Kosovo, and Sudan in 2022, up from 3,500 in 2019, compared with 470,700 Israeli tourists visiting those countries.
Single source6Close to a quarter of a million Israelis had visited the United Arab Emirates by August 2021 following normalization.
Verified7In 2021, visits from Israel to the UAE increased by 172%.
Verified8More than 300,000 Israelis visited the UAE in the two years following the pandemic, according to the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.
Verified9In the first month after Dubai opened direct flights to Israel in November 2020, more than 67,000 Israeli tourists visited Dubai.
Directional10Dubai and Israel were the first to establish direct flights in November 2020, with six different companies — Israeli, Emirati, and international — operating those routes.
Single source11Emirates Airlines launched its Tel Aviv service in June 2022, beginning with one daily flight and expanding to three daily flights by 2023 due to strong demand, before permanently ending service.
Verified12flydubai had reached eight daily flights to Tel Aviv by late 2023, and current schedules show up to ten daily rotations — the highest frequency since the route launched.
Verified13flydubai scheduled 33.7% more flights in 2025 compared to 2024, and more than 50% more than in 2023.
Verified14Saudi Arabia allowed Israeli commercial airline traffic to traverse its airspace, reducing travel time between Bahrain and the UAE for Israeli passengers.
Directional15Israel and the UAE lifted visa requirements for each other's citizens following the signing of the Abraham Accords.
Single source16Direct flights between Israel and Morocco began in July 2021, and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid visited Rabat and Casablanca a month later.
Verified17An estimated 50,000 Israelis traveled to Morocco each year even before the Abraham Accords were signed, due to historical and cultural ties.
Verified18Morocco's large Moroccan Jewish diaspora in Israel, estimated at around 1 million, is the second-largest Moroccan community abroad after France, serving as a key driver of tourism potential.
Verified19An analyst predicted that 200,000 to 400,000 Israeli tourists would travel to Morocco by the end of 2022, owing to the Moroccan Jewish nostalgia for pilgrimage sites.
Directional20In the summer of 2022, Ben-Gurion University welcomed students from Morocco, and a number of Emirati students enrolled in Israeli universities.
Single source21After Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, the UAE incorporated Holocaust education into its school curriculum as a mandatory subject.
Verified22Bahrain has embraced shared educational activities and signed a number of agreements with Israel to advance student and professor exchanges.
Verified23In March 2021, the Israeli and Emirati national rugby teams played their first-ever match, in honor of the Abraham Accords.
Verified24Morocco's normalization agreements alongside Jewish history are cited as a key factor in boosting tourism from Israel, particularly given that 1 million Moroccan Jews live in Israel.
Directional25Etihad Airways operates four daily flights from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv and planned to increase this to five daily departures.
Single sourceTourism & People-to-People Ties Interpretation
The data paints a stark picture of a burgeoning tourist corridor, but one that is overwhelmingly a one-way street, with Israelis flocking to new destinations while reciprocal visits from their Arab partners remain, for now, little more than a polite trickle.
Trade & Economic Impact
1Trade between Israel and Arab countries of the Middle East grew by 234 percent in the first seven months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, even excluding tourism and services.
Verified2Trade between Israel and the UAE increased from $50.8 million in the first seven months of 2020 to $613.9 million in the first seven months of 2021.
Verified3Total trade between Israel and the Abraham Accords countries increased from $593 million in 2019 to $3.47 billion in 2022.
Verified4According to Israel Central Bureau of Statistics data, trade among Accords countries broke new records in 2023, exceeding USD $4 billion, a 16% increase year over year.
Directional5In Q1-Q3 of 2023, Abraham Accords trade was up 24% year over year.
Single source6AAPI estimates that the true value of Abraham Accords trade in 2023 exceeded USD $10 billion when including Israel's exports of natural gas to Egypt, gas and water to Jordan, defense-related trade, and services.
Verified7According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, UAE-Israel bilateral trade reached $2.95 billion in 2023.
Verified8According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, trade between Israel and the UAE grew from about $200 million in 2020 to over $3 billion in 2024 (including diamonds).
Verified9Trade between Israel and the UAE reached $3.24 billion in 2024, representing a 10% increase from 2023.
Directional10According to the UN Comtrade Database, total trade in goods throughout 2021–2024 between the UAE and Israel reached US$6.4 billion, while reaching approximately US$576 million between Morocco and Israel, and US$50 million between Bahrain and Israel.
Single source11Between 2021 and 2024, trade between Israel and its Abraham Accords partners, as well as Egypt and Jordan, increased by a remarkable 127 percent.
Verified12The scope of trade between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries increased 74% between 2021 and 2022.
Verified13According to Bank of Israel statistics, Israeli imports from the region more than doubled, from $3.6 billion in 2019 to $8.3 billion in 2022.
Verified14The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Israel and the UAE entered into force on April 1, 2023 — the first free trade agreement between Israel and any Arab state.
Directional15The CEPA stipulates that 96% of all goods traded between Israel and the UAE will be immediately or gradually exempted from customs duties.
Single source16The CEPA is expected to increase trade between Israel and the UAE, reaching ten billion dollars annually over five years.
Verified17Israel's new Foreign Minister Eli Cohen stated that the volume of trade with Abraham Accords countries exceeded $2.8 billion dollars in 2022.
Verified18Figures from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics show that trade between the UAE and Israel in 2021–2022 (excluding diamonds and services) amounted to about $2.5 billion, while trade with Bahrain was worth only $20 million.
Verified19Bahrain-Israel bilateral trade reached $11.5 million in 2023.
Directional20Morocco-Israel bilateral trade reached $116 million in 2023.
Single source21Israel and Morocco signed an economic cooperation and trade agreement in 2022, with a five-year target of $500 million in annual bilateral trade.
Verified22The annual value of trade and investments between Israel and Abraham Accords countries was estimated to exceed $10 billion in 2023.
Verified23Trade between Israel and the UAE in July 2023 reached $291.1 million, constituting a 49.36% increase from July 2022.
Verified24Israel imported $2.57 billion worth of goods and services from Abraham Accords countries in 2022, up from $378.3 million in 2019.
Directional25By December 2020, Israel had exported some $200 million in products to the Gulf, and within a year almost $600 million in trade had been done between Israel and the UAE.
Single source26Trade between the UAE and Israel reached $2 billion in 2020, a significant jump from an annual $250 million before normalization.
Verified27Israel-Jordan bilateral trade reached $1 billion in 2023, factoring in water and gas exports from Israel to Jordan.
Verified28The "Jordan Gateway" project, a $35 million joint industrial park along the Israel-Jordan border, is expected to create 15,000 new jobs.
Verified29With over $3.4 billion in trade among Accords countries in 2022 alone, the economic benefits of normalization are becoming clearer.
Directional30Israel has a cumulative trade deficit with each of the Abraham Accords countries between 2021 and 2024, meaning it has been importing more than it is exporting to Bahrain, Morocco, and the UAE.
Single source31In early 2026, Israel raised $6 billion through an international bond offering, attracting investment interest from about 300 investors in over 30 countries, including some Abraham Accords states.
Verified32According to RAND, the Abraham Accords could create as many as 4 million new jobs and $1 trillion in new economic activity in its first decade if fully realized.
Verified33According to RAND analysis, bilateral free trade agreements between Israel and current signatories could create 46,000 new jobs and $24 billion in new economic activity for Israel's four Accords partners.
Verified34A multilateral free trade area encompassing current Abraham Accords signatories would triple the overall benefit, creating more than 150,000 new jobs and new economic activity exceeding $75 billion.
Directional35If the Abraham Accords expand to include additional major Arab and Muslim states including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Pakistan, they could produce more than $1 trillion in new economic activity and 4 million new jobs over the next decade.
Single source36If the five current signatories took full advantage of the Abraham Accords by signing free trade agreements like Israel and the UAE did, RAND estimates they could add up to 180,000 new jobs and nearly $150 billion to their economies.
Verified37The UAE earmarked $10 billion in investments in Israel's most strategic sectors, including energy, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Verified38Delek Drilling's $1 billion sale of its stake in an offshore Mediterranean gas field to the UAE's Mubadala Petroleum was described as the biggest deal between the Emirates and Israel.
Verified39In November 2022, fintech company Liquidity Group opened an office in Abu Dhabi as part of a $545 million government incentive program.
Directional40In November 2022, OurCrowd launched Integrated Data Intelligence Ltd. (IDI), offering artificial intelligence for business, in Abu Dhabi as part of a $60 million joint investment with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.
Single source41Abraham Accords trade in Q4 2023 saw only a 4% decrease compared to an 18% decrease in Israel's overall trade, demonstrating relative resilience of Accords trade amid the Gaza war.
Verified42Total goods trade between Israel and the Abraham Accords countries dipped in 2023 due to the aftermath of October 7, yet it has still gained more than US$1 billion cumulatively compared to pre-Accords levels.
Verified43The UAE is now the second-largest trading partner for Israel in the region, behind Turkey.
Verified44Morocco and Israel signed an economic cooperation agreement in February 2022, and the UAE is now the second-largest trading partner for Israel in the Middle East region, behind Turkey.
DirectionalTrade & Economic Impact Interpretation
The numbers don’t lie: peace is proving far more profitable than conflict, with trade between Israel and its Abraham Accords partners exploding from millions to billions, showing that even in a tense region, business can build bridges faster than diplomats.
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