Newly uncovered data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics — analysed by Arabi Post — reveals in unprecedented detail the types of products the United Arab Emirates exported to Israel and vice versa during the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza. The findings expose the largest recorded trade exchange between Israel and any Arab country during wartime — including sensitive sectors like jewellery, agricultural supplies, and even pharmaceuticals.
The data covers the period from October 2023 to February 2025, aligning precisely with Israel’s relentless bombardment of the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza.
This report is part of a wider investigation titled “Arab al-Maskhar” — a term derived from the Hebrew word miskhar, meaning trade. The name is a satirical nod to the political hypocrisy of Arab regimes normalising with Israel, profiting from war while Palestinians are buried under rubble.
UAE Tops Arab Trade with Israel Amid Gaza Destruction
According to the data, the UAE exported 1,377 product subcategories to Israel, making it the largest Arab exporter of domestically produced goods to Israel during the war.
These exports span across 15 major industrial sectors, but the top categories were:
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- Jewellery, pearls, and precious stones ($584.9 million),
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- Industrial machinery and equipment,
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- Raw materials and metals.
For comparison:
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- In October 2023 (the first month of Israel’s war on Gaza), UAE exports to Israel were worth $32.6 million.
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- By October 2024, they peaked at $148.4 million — a 4.5x increase from the war’s beginning.
Total UAE exports to Israel (only of local origin) during the war: $1.2 billion. Including re-exported goods and transshipped items: $3.5 billion.
What Did the UAE Send to Israel?
The UAE’s exports included:
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- Fertilisers used in agriculture: $25.3 million.
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- Food and beverages, including fruits, vegetables, and juices: $10 million.
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- Construction materials such as cement, gypsum, sulfur, salt, and lime.
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- Pharmaceuticals, children’s toys, clothing, and decorative art pieces.
These exports continued unabated despite calls across the Arab world to cut ties with Israel as it intensified its campaign in Gaza, resulting in tens of thousands of civilian deaths.
What Did Israel Export to the UAE During the War?
While the UAE sent over 1,300 product lines, it also imported 763 Israeli products, mostly:
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- Jewels and precious metals ($350 million),
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- Medical, optical, and measuring instruments ($159.6 million),
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- Electrical equipment and components ($80.2 million),
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Food products, including:
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- Dried fruits and nuts: $16.7 million,
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- Processed foods: $6.2 million.
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Additional exports included chemical goods, mechanical devices, fertilisers, clothing, and artworks.
Trade Boomed While Gaza Burned
From October 2023 to February 2025, total bilateral trade between the UAE and Israel reached $4.3 billion — making the UAE the leading Arab trade partner of Israel during the war. For comparison:
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- Egypt ranked second,
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- Jordan third,
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- Morocco and Bahrain followed.
The trade surge during the Gaza war represents the largest UAE-Israel commercial exchange since the normalisation deal in 2020 (Abraham Accords).
Year-on-year trade totals:
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- 2020: $189.8 million,
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- 2021: $1.22 billion,
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- 2022: $2.52 billion,
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- 2023: $2.9 billion,
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- October 2023 – February 2025: $4.3 billion.
Israeli Exports to UAE Dropped During the War
Interestingly, while UAE exports to Israel surged, Israeli exports to the UAE declined, totalling $778.5 million over the war period.
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- Peak Israeli exports: $87.2 million in October 2023.
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- Lowest point: $27.5 million in September 2024.
This divergence reflects UAE’s growing role as a strategic supplier to Israel, especially as war intensified.
Under the Radar: How the Data Was Tracked
The figures were compiled from Israel’s monthly trade reports, using the Harmonised System (HS Code) — a global classification used by the World Customs Organisation to categorise over 5,000 commodity groups.
The products are defined by country of origin. This excludes temporary imports, bonded warehouse items, or re-exports that aren’t processed.
Through these codes, investigators traced exactly what each country sent and received, exposing the opaque trade flows between Arab governments and Israel during a time of mass suffering in Gaza.
Trade Agreement with Israel Shielded UAE from Tariffs
The UAE-Israel Free Trade Agreement, signed in 2022, played a major role in facilitating this wartime trade. It eliminated tariffs on 96% of goods, either immediately or gradually, giving UAE companies unprecedented access to the Israeli market — even while the bombs fell on Gaza’s children.
Aiding War Through Commerce
While Arab streets raged with protests, and calls for boycotting Israel echoed across social media and mosques, the UAE pressed on — expanding its economic cooperation with the occupying force.
This commercial normalisation, hidden behind vague press statements and political doublespeak, was laid bare by Israeli transparency, not Arab accountability.
And while UAE media remain silent, Israeli reports document the scale of partnership — all during one of the bloodiest periods in Gaza’s history.
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