Peres Center sees significant potential in new UAE ties
At the time of the delegation’s trip the Center’s Chairman Chemi Peres, said he was delighted to head the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation delegation to the United Arab Emirates.
By SETH J. FRANTZMANThe Peres Center for Peace and Innovation.(photo credit: CHEN SHENHAV)
In early December, the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation sent a delegation to the United Arab Emirates. It was part of an unprecedented number of Israelis flying to Dubai this month as some 50,000 people went to the UAE in the wake of the Abraham Accords. Efrat Duvdevani, Director General of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, was impressed by the possibilities in the Gulf. “The entrepreneurial ecosystem in Dubai is in its infancy, but it is beginning to gain momentum. The Emirates have set themselves the goal of becoming the leading financial hub in the region, and they understand that for this they need connections to advanced technology,” she said in the wake of returning from the UAE. “This is exactly where their desire to connect with Israel resides. The deep tech that exists in Israel is the key to future collaborations, and they have a real desire to learn from Israel's ability in the field of technology and in general how to establish an ecosystem of innovation.”At the time of the delegation’s trip the Center’s Chairman Chemi Peres, said he was delighted to head the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation delegation to the United Arab Emirates. “The center has been leading cross-border collaborations in entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership and peace for over 20 years. I am confident that through building ties with the Gulf states, we can develop projects and partnerships which will create a better future for our region.”Duvdevani points out that the Emiratis conveyed a sincere, open and warm desire to cooperate with Israelis. We were very impressed by the way they are managing their country, with true long term strategy while putting an emphasis of long term initiatives.” These include having a Minister in charge of artificial intelligence and the future in the UAE. Out of 33 government ministers, nine are women. It is important for Israelis also to learn about the culture and complexities of the Gulf. “While Israelis rushed to the Emirates with hopes to sign business deals quickly, the Emiratis culturally approach the whole thing differently - They expect us to want to get to know them, make friendships, get to know their families, and then maybe later on also sign agreements. The game here is entirely long-term,” she says.The Peres Center for Peace and Innovation was founded in 1996 by the last Shimon Peres, who went on to be President of Israel. Duvdevani worked with Peres for many years. Peres had a vision that combined support for innovation, of the kind that has turned Israel into a start-up tech hub, as well as a vision of peace in the region that would knit together economies in the Middle East. The center “develops and implements impactful and meaningful programs with a focus on promoting a prosperous Israel,” according to the Peres Center. The new peace with the UAE and Bahrain plug in well with this mission. “The Emirates is a gateway to more than two billion people as it lies at the edge of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In light of the Emirates’ ability to reach and distribute to these areas, many of which are in the Arab world, it is a tremendous opportunity for Israel. In addition, there is significant potential to reduce the costs of goods imported into Israel through cooperation with the free trade zones which operate in the Emirates with zero tax on goods,” says Duvdevani. It was especially exciting to be part of the Center's delegation, she says. “The late Shimon Peres was the father of the ‘New Middle East' vision, which suddenly now appears to be coming true. The message we came with, of striving to build long-term bridges, integrated with peace and innovation created a lot of interest on the other side and a willingness to continue the relationship.”The Peres Center has an official representative in the UAE now called Sarah Besnainou. Many people came on the delegation, including partners of the center. These included representatives from Finastra, Check Point, Adama and other companies such as IAI and Orbotech. While the new public connections with the UAE are still in their infancy, the flood of Israeli interest in working with people in the Emirates is clear. The Peres Center delegation is one example of the vision for the future of the region that is being implemented between organizations in Israel and the Gulf.
