October 15, 2020 — The August 2020 announcement of the Abraham Accords marked a historic moment for relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The agreement is a significant and exciting accomplishment.

In addition to normalizing relations, the UAE and Israel have opened the door for cooperation and collaboration across economic, political, and security issues. Now is the time for the hard work of implementation, to make this agreement into a real and lasting avenue for cooperation. In that spirit, the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, the Emirates Policy Center in Abu Dhabi, and the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv are pleased to announce a trilateral strategic partnership. As UAE Minister of State Dr. Anwar Gargash said at an Atlantic Council event in August, the UAE-Israel relationship is expected to be a “warm peace,” where people-to-people relations develop in addition to government-to-government relations. We believe there is a vital role for the think tank community to support both channels. Our partnership will provide a foundation for a “warm peace” and maximize the Accords’ potential in advancing UAE-Israel relations and regional stability, security, and prosperity.

The strategic partnership will build on the momentum from the Abraham Accords and serve as a hub for those in the global think tank community who seek to contribute to UAE-Israel relations. As these relations develop, there will be a need for deep understanding on topics of mutual importance to the two countries, institutional structures to support dialogue and collaboration at the bilateral and multilateral levels, platforms to engage with key stakeholders in the private and public sector, and analysis and recommendations for decision-makers.

We will convene the top experts from the UAE, Israel, and the United States, to contribute on topics such as common security concerns and threats, opportunities for mutual trade and investment, and specific avenues for collaboration on cyber and space technologies, healthcare and pandemic concerns, tourism, religious and cultural affairs, water security, food security, and renewable energy. These experts will be organized in working groups to publish policy papers, host seminars and policy briefings, and participate in the first major international conference on Gulf-Israel relations.

To follow the work of the partnership, please visit the Atlantic Council, the Emirates Policy Center, and the Institute for National Security Studies.

For press inquiries, please contact press@atlanticcouncil.org.