Look: This is Mia, the first Israeli baby to be born in Dubai

Picture retrieved from Ilan Sztulman Starosta/Linkedin

Dubai - The birth came days after the UAE and Israel marked the first anniversary of the historic Abraham Accords.

Suneeti Ahuja Kohli

Published: Sun 15 Aug 2021, 11:05 AM

Last updated: Sun 15 Aug 2021, 2:52 PM

Meet Mia Sztulman Starosta Lembert, the first Israeli baby to be born in Dubai.

Mia’s father, Ilan Sztulman Starosta, Israel’s Consul-General in Dubai, took to LinkedIn on Sunday to post the happy news.

“Welcome to this world, Mia Sztulman Starosta Lembert, our new loved (already!!) daughter. Born yesterday (Saturday) afternoon in the beautiful city of Dubai — United Arab Emirates. The first Israeli baby born in the country since the Abraham accords. What an honor (sic),” he posted.

The birth came days after the UAE and Israel marked the first anniversary of the historic Abraham Accords. Ties and bilateral trade between the two countries are flourishing since the peace agreement was announced a year ago.

In an interview with Khaleej Times, Sztulman said, “I’m very excited to be in this historic moment. There have been other Jewish newborns, but she's the first newborn of an Israeli diplomat here in Dubai. It's exciting news as it coincides with one year of the Abraham Accords. We are getting the two nations together in business and strategic interests, and now in real life too. Having a baby born here in a hospital like anybody else is symbolic of the closer relationship the two countries are building.”

The diplomat praised burgeoning ties between the two countries and said, “The two countries have similarities as well as differences that can complement each other. Israel is very good in certain fields; so is the UAE. Together, we can accomplish much more and it's already happening in many fields. We have Emirati students going to Israel to study. Many companies are setting up business here and in Israel. We have only just begun.”

On Israel’s diplomatic mission in the UAE, Sztulman said, “We have just two diplomatic missions here, but with very few people because we didn't have a government (in Israel) up to a few months ago. So, we didn’t have an approval. This will change soon. In the next month, I think the results will be even more impressive to see.”

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Israel opened its embassy and consulate in the UAE in June and has since facilitated closer ties between the two countries.

The UAE, Bahrain and Israel had signed agreements at the White House in the US last year establishing formal relations between these countries. Sudan and Morocco have since followed suit.

Bilateral trade between Israel and the UAE has crossed $700 million (Dh2.5 billion) and is expected to surpass $1 billion (Dh3.67 billion) by the end of this year.