Spain and the UAE: A Strategic Partnership
An Opportunity to Create a Spain–UAE–Israel Axis and the Hispanic World
The Abraham Accords emerged after decades of conflict in the Middle East, representing a positive shift in regional dynamics. These agreements not only transformed diplomatic relations but also opened an unprecedented window for Spanish entrepreneurs to position themselves as strategic intermediaries in high-level projects, leveraging Spain’s strong commercial relations with both the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel.
A Strategic Triangle in High-Growth Sectors
The Abraham Accords have fueled a genuine boom in cooperation between the UAE and Israel, particularly in fast-growing, high–value-added sectors. Among the areas where this partnership has developed most strongly are:
- Agricultural technology (AgriTech)
- Cybersecurity
- Desalination and water management
- Renewable energy
- Smart logistics and ports
- Tourism and aviation
In this context, Spain holds strong and competitive positions that make it an ideal partner in a strategic triangle with both countries. Spanish leadership in key sectors is widely recognized:
- In desalination and water management, companies such as Acciona and Aqualia rank among the most advanced in the world.
- In renewable energy, groups such as Iberdrola and Acciona Energía are global leaders in wind, solar, and smart grid technologies.
- In tourism, Spain possesses well-established know-how in destination management, urban planning, training, and tourism digitalization—areas of great interest to both the UAE and Israel.
Leveraging these complementarities would make it possible to create trilateral Spain–UAE–Israel consortia capable of driving technological, energy, and infrastructure projects with international reach. These alliances would not only generate economic synergies but also open opportunities to export joint solutions to emerging markets in Latin America, Africa, and the Mediterranean region.
The Political and Diplomatic Framework
Within the framework of the Abraham Accords, it will be possible to operate at the political and diplomatic level to jointly develop bilateral cooperation projects with government entities, creating Economic Commissions that benefit the private sector and foster national economic development. With state support, companies from different countries could be brought together and benefit from the facilities enabled by agreements between their respective governments.
As an example, new investment frameworks could be created for Spanish entrepreneurs and presented to political leaders in both the UAE and Spain. In this way, industrial competitiveness would grow, and innovation and entrepreneurship would be strengthened.
Conclusion
The United Arab Emirates represents a multidimensional strategic partner for Spain—economically, politically, energetically, and logistically. Cooperation between both countries continues to grow and offers significant opportunities in the medium and long term, not only for trade and investment but also for geopolitical positioning.