November Special Edition 2021

19 all that we do in the tech space. We want to and are seeing more strategic collaborations. What I would also add is that Emiratis are most interested in products. They are looking for interesting innovations that are up and running that they can collaborate on or invest in, not merely to buy. What is extremely interesting for Israelis to know is how much they can also teach us, whether it is smart accessible cities or digital government, there is a lot we can and are learning from them. Has there been any interest in sectors which has surprised you? Not really. Given the pandemic, there has been a great deal of interest in healthcare and telehealth, obviously, but I suppose I would say that they have, like Israel, made the desert bloom. They have built an incredible country from scratch. Recently, Israel's Ambassador to the UAE Amir Hayek told an Israeli business delegation to Abu Dhabi and local business leaders that there will soon be a regional Free Trade Agreement? Is this something that is likely to be on the cards? What is great is that due to the Abraham Accords, we can strategize multilaterally, not just bilaterally. Any agreement can be part of a Middle East- wide block of parties aspiring to peace and prosperity, to tackle the challenges we all face here with regards to food, water, agriculture, climate change and so on. Solutions need to be developed regionally and any Free Trade Agreement would be a fantastic idea, and the sooner it happens the better. UIBC has done so very well. What are the plans for the coming year? In my multiple roles, I see a genuine opportunity to develop East Jerusalem as a tourism hub for new pilgrim visitors from Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf who want to see the holy sites of Jerusalem. I want to help prepare the infrastructure that could see a great opportunity todevelopEast Jerusalem. We are also advocating the push to create equal opportunities for young Arab men and women in the city, who would be well placed, with Arabic, Hebrew and English, as graduates in Israel, to be a natural and organic bridge to further connect Jerusalem and the Gulf.