The Israeli and Emirati teens building new links

Young people from Israel, Bahrain, Morocco and the UAE took part in a virtual event to build business and social ties between their countries.

The virtual event, dubbed a “social hackathon”, included workshops and lectures from businesspeople and young entrepreneurs.

It follows the decision last year to open diplomatic relations between Israel and the Arab countries in a process called the Abraham Accords.

Last week’s event included greetings from Israel’s president Reuven Rivlin and Eitan Na’eh, the country’s new ambassador to the UAE, who both hailed it as a sign of the change triggered by the Accords.

“Young leadership emanating from young entrepreneurs is a key driver for promoting true normalization between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and other countries,” said Erel Margalit, whose organisation JVP & Margalit Startup City helped organise the event.

“These initiatives give both hope and opportunities for new creative ideas to bring people together and create a genuinely new chapter for our region.”

Israeli business figures including Chemi Peres and Erel Margalit were among those delivering lectures at the event, which came to a close on Thursday.

Participants also discussed challenges that the region will face in the era that emerges with the end of the coronavirus pandemic, with a particular focus on business and entrepreneurship, education and tourism.