PORT2PORT 2025: Amir Hayek Foresees Growth of Abraham Accords

The opening interview of the PORT2PORT 2025 conference provided highlights right from the start. Host Keren Marciano and former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Amir Hayek, sat down for a sharp, open, and fascinating discussion about the new economy of the Middle East, five years into the Abraham Accords, and the optimism he still maintains - even after a particularly challenging year.

"The UAE is planning what the country will look like in 2071, when it turns 100," Hayek said to applause. "It's a country that thinks long-term, invests in education, innovation, tolerance. We - still can't plan a metro properly."

Hayek, who was closely involved in the establishment of the embassy in Abu Dhabi and the tightening of economic relations since the signing of the Abraham Accords, spoke about the beginning: "We arrived there without an embassy, without a team, we started from scratch. Half a year later we already signed a trade agreement - the second ever of the Emirates with a foreign country. It shows their level of planning, desire, and efficiency."

Regarding the statement of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich towards Saudi Arabia ("keep riding camels in the desert"), Hayek said: "I think it's a pitiful statement. These are advanced countries, leading in the fields of economy, innovation, and education. The finance minister would do well to learn from them. We have a lot to learn."

Hayek later revealed updated data on trade between Israel and the UAE: "We finished 2024 with a trade volume of $3.24 billion in goods alone. If we add software and services - we easily reach an additional billion dollars. The Emirates are today Israel's 13th largest trading partner, and this is just the beginning."

Alongside the numbers, Hayek emphasized the tremendous potential for Israeli exporters: "Don't treat the Emirates as an ATM. They are no longer such. They are serious partners, precise, and looking for real value. There is huge capital there, skilled workers, world-class infrastructure, and cheap green energy. This is the place to establish activity, not just export to it."

When asked about the future of the Abraham Accords and the possibility of their expansion to additional countries, Hayek replied: "I am very, very optimistic. I don't know if it will happen this year or next year - but it will happen. We will see an expansion of the agreements, maybe not under the same name, but the trend is clear. To make this happen we will need to build trust and talk about hope for the future."

He added that the Abraham Accords are much more than a diplomatic move: "It's not just peace between countries - it's a cross-border economy, a real business partnership and a new narrative of the region. Anyone who doesn't understand this - misses the revolution."

Hayek also mentioned that the Emiratis were the only country that continued to operate flights to Israel after October 7 and mentioned Etihad Airways as an airline that did not stop flying to Israel even for a day.

At the end of the interview, Hayek told a touching anecdote that illustrates the spirit of the relations that have been woven between the countries: "When the President of the State, Isaac Herzog, came for an official visit to Abu Dhabi, the Emiratis replaced all the palace carpets with a light gray color. I asked why, and they told me: 'We didn't want anyone to think we were stepping on the color of your flag'. This is the sensitivity, this is the greatness."

"This is a region that will flourish," Hayek concluded. "And we must be part of this game - not from the stands."