Hi-tech Israeli delegation in UAE for talks

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ALL SET: The JVP and Margalit delegation is looking forward to a fruitful and historic visit to the UAE. — Supplied photo
ALL SET: The JVP and Margalit delegation is looking forward to a fruitful and historic visit to the UAE. — Supplied photo

Dubai - The four-day visit of the delegation comes 40 days after the UAE and Israel signed the historic peace agreement.

by

Issac John

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Published: Mon 26 Oct 2020, 6:22 AM

The first Israeli high-tech delegation will begin its first round of discussions today with senior government officials and investment counterparts in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on building collaborations and exploring investment opportunities.

The four-day visit of the delegation comes 40 days after the UAE and Israel signed the historic peace agreement, the Abraham Accord, on September 15 in Washington.


The delegation, invited by the Dubai International Financial Centre, arrived in Dubai last night. It is being led by Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP) founder and Chairman Dr Erel Margalit and included 13 CEOs of leading Israeli technology companies in fields like cybersecurity, fintech, insurance tech, and food tech.

This is the second high-level Israeli team to visit the UAE in less than two months after a US-Israeli team led by Jared Kushner, Senior Adviser to President Donald Trump, arrived in Abu Dhabi on August 31 to discuss bilateral cooperation in key areas, such as investment, finance, health, civil space programmes, civil aviation, foreign policy and diplomatic affairs, tourism and culture.


“Hi-tech is the locomotive engine that leads the Israeli economy, so we have a key role in leading relations and cooperation with the Emirates, with an emphasis on partnership,” said Margalit, who is also chairman of Margalit Startup City Erel.

“I am proud to lead the first Israeli hi-tech delegation to the Emirates. Our companies have been in business contact with the Emirates for a number of years, and now an opportunity has arisen to expand this network of relationships, deepen the ties significantly, and allow more and more Israeli companies and entrepreneurs to be part of this connection and success,” Margalit said.

He said the delegation’s visit is not just a business opportunity, but a political opportunity for turning a new page between the Israeli hi-tech community and the entire Middle East. “With us in the delegation are the CEOs of emerging Israeli hi-tech companies from every field, and I am sure we will create real partnerships here that will contribute to building successful Israeli companies that will propel the Israeli economy forward, precisely during this period, and create more and more new jobs.”

Companies in the delegation include Earnix, one of the world’s leading companies in insurtech and personalisation of insurance and banking; Up Control, an emerging Israeli company leading a revolution in the management of remote work networks; Morphisec, from Be’er Sheva, which is a leader in innovative technology for protecting endpoints in organisations; and Secret Double Octopus, also from Be’er Sheva, which provides a leading biometric solution for passwords.

“Also of significant interest to the Emirati government, companies, and investors is the field of foodtech. Among the delegation in the field is InnovoPro, a company that produces a protein substitute from chickpeas with high nutritional values. One of the most interesting companies in the world in the field, it is already a major player in dairy products in some of Europe’s leading chains, with products from ice cream to mayonnaise. The company is now preparing for a breakthrough in the Middle East,” JVP said in a statement

Another participating firm is Agrint, which has developed technology to identify diseases in trees before they cause damage. “One of the most serious infections in the world is the palm bacteria that destroys entire palm groves. Agrint’s solution for this has significant potential for agriculture in the Middle East.”

Delegates include entrepreneur, and former senior official in the Mossad, David Meidan; Udi Ziv, CEO of Earnix; Frank Zvi, CEO of Copilot; Elad Ben-Meir, -CEO of SCADAfence; Dror Liwer, Co-founder & Chief Security Officer of Coronet; Asaf Ganot, CEO of Control Up; Omri Kohl, CEO of Pyramid Analytics; Gal Rimon, CEO of Centrical; Ronen Yehoshua, CEO of Morphisec; Raz Refaeli, CEO of Secret Double Octopus; Mark Gazit, CEO of Thetaray; Yaron Ravkaie, CEO of Teridion; Tali Nehushtan, CEO of InnovoPro; Yehonatan Ben Hamozeg, CEO of Agrint; they were joined by JVP partners Yoav Tzruya, Fiona Darmon, Gadi Porat, Michal Drayman, and Rinat Remler, senior VPs Shimrit Kenig, Guy Pross, Pnina Ben Ami and communications director Omri Sheinfeld.

issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com


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