The UAE and Bahrain have become the third and fourth Arab nations to reconcile with Israel: on 13 August, Abu Dhabi confirmed its willingness to normalise relations with the Jewish state, while on 11 September, Manama jumped on the bandwagon. International observers have discussed how the agreements may affect the balance of power in the region.
On Tuesday, two Gulf monarchies, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, are due to sign the Abraham Accord, a formal peace treaty with Israel, at the White House. US President Donald Trump, who brokered the deal, will preside over the signing ceremony.
Abraham Accord Presents a New Alternative for the Region
Boms highlights that the groundwork for the peace accords with the two Gulf monarchies was laid over recent years: “The normalisation that is now attributed to Abraham has always existed: over 5,000 israel companies have already been operating in the Gulf”, he says.
The deal is particularly significant because it offers a new course of development for the Middle Eastern players, the researcher suggests, adding that the region has undergone a turbulence period over the last decade. The Arab Spring, the Daesh* threat, and the rise of Shia Iran have prompted Gulf countries to revise their alliances and consider potentially win-win cooperation with Israel, according to Boms.
In addition to this, the US role in the region is steadily waning, making israel a new centre of power in the region, opines Dr Alam Saleh, a…
