Abraham Accords

The Abraham Accords describe the diplomatic normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain (both signed September 15, 2020), Morocco (December 22, 2020), and Sudan (announced October 23, 2020, with substantial subsequent implementation challenges).

The agreements represented the most significant Israeli-Arab diplomatic developments since the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty and the 1994 Jordan-Israel Peace Treaty.

The commercial architecture following the Accords expanded substantially through 2021-2026. The Israel-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), signed in May 2022 and entering into force in April 2023, established the principal bilateral trade-agreement framework. The Israel-Bahrain commercial architecture extends through additional bilateral arrangements. The Israel-Morocco commercial architecture operates through arrangements that extended pre-existing limited commercial ties.

Per Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics data, total trade between Israel and the Accords destinations has grown from effectively zero in 2019 to substantial billions of dollars annually through 2024-2026, with the UAE representing the dominant share.

The post-October 7 environment did not produce structural diplomatic disengagement of any of the Accords destinations. Continued bilateral commerce, continued diplomatic engagement, and continued institutional cooperation through 2024-2026 reflect the structural commitment of the Accords participants to the framework.

The Saudi normalization trajectory, frequently discussed across 2022-2026, would constitute a major structural extension of the Accords framework if formal normalization is reached.

See also: /glossary/cepa/, /trade-corridors/, /defense/uae-defense-acquisitions/