February 23, 2026
Methodology About Newsletter
WE THE UAE 2031
The Vanderbilt Terminal for the UAE's National Transformation
INDEPENDENT GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE FOR THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% | UAE GDP: AED 2.03T ▲ 5.7% | Non-Oil GDP Share: 84.3% ▼ -5.2pp | FDI Inflows: $45.6B ▲ 48.7% | GDP Growth: 4.0% ▲ -0.3pp vs 2023 | Inflation: 1.7% ▼ +0.0pp vs 2023 | Female Participation: 55.1% ▲ +0.6pp vs 2023 | Population: 11.0M ▲ 4.8% | Emiratisation Rate: 12.5% ▲ 2.1pp | Global Competitiveness: #7 ▲ 3 places | Clean Energy Capacity: 7.2 GW ▲ 18.4% | ADX Index: 9,842 ▲ 4.7% | DFM Index: 4,621 ▲ 6.2% |

Definition

The Abraham Accords are a series of bilateral normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states, initiated by the landmark agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel signed on September 15, 2020 at the White House in Washington, D.C. The accords established full diplomatic relations, direct flights, trade partnerships, and people-to-people exchanges between the signatory nations. Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco subsequently signed their own normalization agreements under the same framework.

UAE Context

The UAE was the first Gulf state and only the third Arab nation (after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994) to formally normalize relations with Israel. The agreement was negotiated under the framework of the UAE suspending Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank, though the accords were primarily driven by shared economic interests, security concerns regarding Iran, and a pragmatic diplomatic approach. Since signing, bilateral trade between the UAE and Israel has grown rapidly, with the two countries signing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2022 and establishing direct aviation routes, tourism flows, and technology partnerships.

Key Data

  • Signing date: September 15, 2020
  • UAE-Israel bilateral trade: Exceeded USD 3 billion within the first two years
  • CEPA: Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed May 2022
  • Direct flights: Multiple daily flights between Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Tel Aviv
  • Other signatories: Bahrain (September 2020), Sudan (January 2021), Morocco (December 2020)
  • Key sectors: Technology, fintech, healthcare, agriculture, defense, tourism

Significance for Vision 2031

The Abraham Accords opened entirely new economic corridors for the UAE, directly supporting Vision 2031 trade and investment targets. Israel’s advanced technology sector complements the UAE’s ambitions in AI, cybersecurity, agritech, and fintech, creating bilateral innovation partnerships that accelerate the knowledge-economy transition. The accords also reinforced the UAE’s positioning as a pragmatic diplomatic leader willing to pursue unconventional partnerships in the interest of economic growth and regional stability.

  • CEPA - Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements including the UAE-Israel CEPA
  • Vision 2031 - The strategic framework benefiting from expanded diplomatic relationships
  • Non-Oil GDP - Economic metric boosted by new trade corridors opened by the Accords