The war following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel presents an urgent need for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel to collaborate in addressing regional instability in the Middle East through sustainable development. Through targeted, data-backed efforts, this collaboration could promote regional growth while stabilizing diplomatic relations.
We believe the upcoming United Nations General Assembly represents a strategic opening for these three nations to take a forward-looking approach toward shaping the future of the region, perhaps for the first time since the beginning of a conflict that has caused the death of 1,200 people in Israel due to the Oct. 7 attack, and tens of thousands of people in Gaza.
While acknowledging the difficulty of a public rapprochement at this time, now is the moment for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Israel to actively seek to align their international development efforts.
About the authors
Zafrir Asaf
Zafrir Asaf is an impact economy and international development activist and businessperson. He has been supporting impactful and complex projects in three continents for over a decade and has worked with governments, development finance institutions, and the private sector to identify innovative solutions toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. He is a long-distance trail runner and a volleyball player.
Lior Dabush
Lior Dabush is an expert in the Middle East and North Africa region, specializing in geopolitical research on the politics and economies of the Arab Gulf states. Dabush is a peace activist and social entrepreneur focusing on fostering people-to-people relationships through diplomatic channels. Her experiences include working at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in Israel, where she participated in various projects promoting economic, cultural, and diplomatic relations between the two countries.
