Jordan Claims UAE Paves Way for Israeli Intelligence in Arab Countries

The UAE has emerged as a gateway for Israeli intelligence to infiltrate Arab countries through a network of partnerships between its companies and Israeli firms, especially in the fields of information gathering and artificial intelligence.

Recent evidence includes the signing of an agreement just days ago between the Jordanian Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development to launch a $100 million digital transformation project.

As stated in the announcement, the digital transformation project is aimed at enhancing the healthcare sector, evaluating the current digital services offered, and identifying areas for improvement, with $85 million dedicated specifically to this development.

The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development announced that the project aligns with the goals of the Jordanian government’s 2023-2025 Economic Modernization Vision, aiming to enhance the efficiency of healthcare services, accelerate digital transformation, and promote the development of the healthcare sector in Jordan.

The project will be executed by the Emirati company Presight AI, which has contracts with Israeli defense and intelligence companies and operates joint offices in Israel.

Analysts emphasize that Presight was initially founded as a joint project between an Emirati company and an Israeli firm, meaning it primarily serves as a partnership with Israel.

On April 21, 2021, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, a leading Israeli defense company, signed an agreement to establish a new joint venture with Group 42 to develop commercial artificial intelligence technologies and big data, including the establishment of a research and development center in Israel to serve global clients.

The agreement followed the public normalization agreement signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates in 2020.

Rafael produces Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems and is a leader in research on laser technology and networked battlefield systems.

Group 42 now has offices located in Israel.

The Emirates Center for Studies and Media, known as ‘ emascuae,’ has previously cautioned about a serious security infiltration by Israel into the UAE through economic investments.

In an analytical study, the center stated that since the normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel in 2020 via the ‘Abraham Accord,’ trade and economic ties have surged to levels that cannot be overlooked, resulting in substantial cooperation in security and military sectors.

Officials and observers of both Emirati and Israeli affairs have noted Israel’s strong push into the Emirati market, particularly in security, military, and artificial intelligence companies, raising serious questions about the security implications for Abu Dhabi specifically and the Gulf region more broadly.

Reports suggest that numerous private security firms, as well as those linked to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, have significantly increased their presence and activities in the UAE, leaving the country exposed to possible Israeli espionage operations both inside and outside its borders.

Just days ago, Israeli security and military circles revealed that an Israeli company specializing in aerial data collection and analysis is constructing infrastructure for a fleet of drones in urban areas for a government agency in the UAE, in a deal totaling two million dollars.

Additionally, it’s important to recall that Israeli media revealed several months ago the involvement of Israeli security firms and cybersecurity companies in the UAE, working as part of a coalition of several such companies.

The Israeli economic newspaper ‘Globes’ reported at the time that the cybersecurity firm ‘XM Cyber,’ partly owned by former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, had entered the Gulf for the first time to sell its security products for infrastructure related to gas, oil, and financial sectors.

In this context, the Israeli global investment firm OurCrowd stated that it will expand its operations in the UAE by establishing a venture capital office in Abu Dhabi and an artificial intelligence technology center as part of a new agreement.

The Israeli fintech company revealed that it has entered into an agreement to open a research and development center in the UAE, with both deals announced during Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2022.

The two Israeli firms will join over thirty companies from around the world that have participated in the program over the past two years, as the UAE positions itself as a gateway for financial services companies to expand, serving as a bridge between time zones while providing a favorable regulatory environment through the Abu Dhabi Global Market.

The global investment firm obtained a license to operate in the UAE last November, making it the first Israeli venture capital company approved by the International Financial Center in the capital.

The company revealed its plans to establish an artificial intelligence innovation center in Abu Dhabi earlier this year. The center will offer research centered on finance, utilizing artificial intelligence as a service for clients.

Liquidity Group has also announced its participation in the innovation program, with plans to set up a research and development center in the UAE capital.

Reports suggest that Israeli security companies are heavily present in critical government facilities and important companies in the UAE, including airports, ports, and technology and oil enterprises.

Reports highlight the expansion of Israeli investment in all areas related to artificial intelligence in the UAE.

The concern is that the Israeli presence, whether in security, military, or investment, does not primarily provide free services to Abu Dhabi.

Additionally, this presence is not aimless; Tel Aviv’s focus on these areas is deliberate, rendering the UAE and its surroundings susceptible to Israeli observation and turning it into a strategic intelligence center in the Gulf to counter potential future threats, particularly Iranian influence in the region.