Israel and Morocco on Monday signed the first economic and trade agreements since formalising ties in October 2020 as they pursue stronger co-operation after the US-brokered peace initiative.
A delegation of senior Israeli officials was in the Moroccan capital Rabat for a four-day visit to sign the agreements, the start of a new era between both countries.
The goal is to nearly quadruple their annual trade to more than $500 million.
"The annual level of economic and commercial exchange between the two countries, which today amounts to $130m, must very quickly reach $500m and go beyond that," said Israel's Economy Minister Orna Barbivai.
The agreements are also aimed at creating special industrial zones in Morocco to boost trade with Israel with a sharp focus on sectors like agribusiness, aerospace and renewable energy, said Morocco’s Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour.
“The deal will also boost co-operation between the two countries' private sectors and allow for the exchange of expertise in the field of innovation,” Mr Mezzour said at the press conference with Ms Barbivai.
The Israeli minister is planning to visit the kingdom’s economic capital Casablanca and tourist centre Marrakesh. He will tour Israeli textile and agricultural companies.
The trip took place fewer than three months after Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz visited in November to sign a security pact with Morocco.
Since the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020 and the subsequent normalisation deals with Morocco and Sudan, Israel and Bahrain, Israel has been seeking to boost its ties with several Arab countries.
The Accords, signed with the UAE and Bahrain, were described by officials in both countries as the “most significant strategic developments” in the Middle East for many years, and observers said they helped to reshape the geopolitics of the region.
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited Bahrain for the first time and met King Hamad Al Khalifa.
Cultural economy
Morocco agreed to formalise ties with Israel under America's Trump administration, when liaison offices were opened by both sides.
Under terms of the deal, in July direct commercial flights to Moroccan airports from Tel Aviv were allowed.
Besides the unprecedented trade deals, the normalisation of ties could boost "cultural economy" links ― the economic output of the arts, says Simon Skira, the head of the Israel Morocco Friendship Association, which dates back to 1996.
“This is an essential step to achieve the normalisation of relations between Morocco and Israel and above all to make this normalisation fruitful and beneficial,” he told The National.
Mr Skira, who moves between Israel and France where he has established the Federation of Moroccan Judaism, says there is a nexus between creativity and globalisation, which would ultimately benefit industries and economies in both countries.
This is an essential step to achieve the normalisation of relations between Morocco and Israel and make this fruitful and beneficial
Simon Skira,
head of the Israel Morocco Friendship Association
"We are interested in bridging the gap between Jewish Moroccans and their motherland Morocco and instilling in the younger generations the Moroccan Hebrew tradition,” he said.
Morocco was home to one of the largest and most prosperous Jewish communities in North Africa and the Middle East for centuries until Israel's founding in 1948.
An estimated 250,000 Jews left Morocco for Israel from 1948 to 1964. Today only about 3,000 remain in the north African state, which has a population of 37 million.
While the economic aspect is important, more important is that both countries move from government-to-government agreements to cement public ties, says Mr Skira.
“Morocco has always had a large place among the Jews of the world and of Israel, in addition there are a large number of Israelis of Moroccan origin. It is normal to see this enthusiasm and these beautiful reactions for the normalisation,” he said.
For Saad Charkioui, a Moroccan civil engineer and entrepreneur, living in Casablanca, the bilateral rapprochement is simply a correction to the course of things.
“I prefer to name it a regathering with our more than one million Jews of Moroccan descent. These people are part of the Moroccan identity and culture,” Mr Charkioui, 47, told The National.
"Better late than never, as the saying goes. And for a country 1,200 years old, with deep Jewish heritage, some decades [of no formal ties] are a drop in the sea,” he said.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Yousef Jaber (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Jazira), Salem Rashid (Jazira), Shaheen Abdelrahman (Sharjah), Faris Juma (Al Wahda), Mohammed Shaker (Al Ain), Mohammed Barghash (Wahda), Abdulaziz Haikal (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Barman (Al Ain), Khamis Esmail (Wahda), Khaled Bawazir (Sharjah), Majed Surour (Sharjah), Abdullah Ramadan (Jazira), Mohammed Al Attas (Jazira), Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Khalfan Mubarak (Jazira), Habib Fardan (Nasr), Khalil Ibrahim (Wahda), Ali Mabkhout (Jazira), Ali Saleh (Wasl), Caio (Al Ain), Sebastian Tagliabue (Nasr).
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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- 600-seat auditorium
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
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- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
SHAITTAN
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Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
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Abu Dhabi card
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 2,200m
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
The National selections:
5pm: Valcartier
5.30pm: AF Taraha
6pm: Dhafra
6.30pm: Maqam
7pm: AF Mekhbat
7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi
UFC%20FIGHT%20NIGHT%3A%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20RESULTS
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Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Everton 1 Stoke City 0
Everton (Rooney 45 1')
Man of the Match Phil Jagielka (Everton)
Europa League group stage draw
Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar
Our House, Louise Candlish,
Simon & Schuster
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
MATCH INFO
Azerbaijan 0
Wales 2 (Moore 10', Wilson 34')
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
The biog
DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
