UWI IN DUBAI: United with Israel Meets with Emirati Minister

United With Israel’s David Aghiarian was invited to the first-ever media influencers conference in Dubai where he discussed the future of peace in the region with his hosts.

By Yakir Benzion, United With Israel

United with Israel’s David Aghiarian recently participated in a groundbreaking project in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where social media influencers from around the region met at the Dubai Youth Hub.

At the event, young people from Dubai came to discuss their vision of the future with counterparts from different countries, including Aghiarian, who serves as director of Portuguese content for United with Israel (UWI).

Aghiarian held a one-on-one conversation with the UAE’s Deputy Minister in Charge of Youth, His Excellency Mr. Saaeed Al Nazari, who warmly greeted his Israeli guest.

Al Nazari shared with Aghiarian a window into the worldview of young Emiratis, whom he said  are very proud of their culture, heritage and progress.

Aghiarian said the Emiratis made sure their guests felt at home so they could experience the local culture and see the country.

“We want to say clearly and loudly to the whole world that peace is possible,” Al Nazari told the audience, showing his confidence in the strength of the peace treaty signed between Israel and the UAE last year.

The conference was organized by ISRAEL-is, an NGO created to build bridges between young Israelis and their counterparts around the world.

Dubbed the “Cousins Meetup,” the event was designed to bring Jews and Muslims together as descendants of the patriarch Abraham, said ISRAEL-is CEO Eyal Biran, who explained the goal of the conference as “build[ing] a bridge, for the first time in history, between Emirati and Israeli social media influencers.”

“We hope that the bond created between all those participating in this ‘Cousins Meetup’ will spread through social media and reach the peoples of Israel and the United Arab Emirates. We believe this is a unique way to cement peace and build a bridge between real people,” Biran said.

“The event brought together, physically and away from Zoom, Israeli and Emirati influencers for the first time in history,” said Rotem Sharon, International Collaborations VP at ISRAEL-is. “Foodies, singers, entrepreneurs, content creators, artists, and designers, all enjoy[ed] three days of a unique, informal, authentic and interpersonal experience. Our hope is to tell our story and speak of peace for many generations to come.”