One of the stereotypes of the Middle East is things don’t happen quickly here. Entrepreneurs in the Levant and GCC are often frustrated that their peers in the west can take advantage of regulations and infrastructure they don’t have access to - or simply get stuff done more quickly. Of course it’s not that simple, but there is a sense that business depends on building firm relationships and a lot of diligence before the ink is signed.

And then the UAE signed a peace deal with Israel, and we saw a different way of doing things. Even during the crisis of COVID-19 tens of thousands of Israeli tourists and innovators have visited the UAE, working on every kind of project you can think of. The UAE’s main technology conference, GITEX, devoted a staging area to the ‘UAE-Israel Future Digital Economy Summit.'

A prominent Israeli tech-investor and co-founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council, Dorian Barak re-joins the podcast to provide high-level insights into a relationship on fast-forward.