Liam Fox: Abraham Accord 'sets a new course for the region'

Former British Cabinet minister accepts position to promote peace and reconciliation in the Middle East

Dr Liam Fox will lead efforts to promote the Abraham Accord's ideals from London Tolga Akmen / Reuters

Dr Liam Fox, a Conservative former UK Cabinet minister, has announced that he will take a public role in promoting the ideals of the Abraham Accord from London.

The former defence and international trade secretary has been a friend of the region through a career in government that stretches back to the 1990s. He has now been asked by the ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain and Israel to set up and lead an institution in the UK to promote the Abraham Accords.

Speaking to The National, Dr Fox described the agreements first announced between the UAE and Israel in August 2020 as a real opportunity to provide a beacon of hope for people to see what sort of shared future can be built.

"It's a tremendous step forward, we think it's not too much to say it's visionary, it actually sets a new course for the region," he said. "The benefits of it will be felt well beyond the region itself and we would like the UK to play an important part."

Dr Fox said that having been Britain's defence and also international trade secretary, he was keen for the UK to help as a strong friend and ally of all three countries that have signed the Abraham Accord so far. "The diplomatic course has been set out by the governments but we see this as a network that can help make a reality of the aspirations of the Accord," he said.

That work will focus not just on Dr Fox's colleagues on the UK political and diplomatic scene but also on industry, finance and technology players. "Look at what the accords set out – you're talking about an end to radicalisation, well we will want to share in that," he said. "Look at how it promotes interactions in science, in art and medicine, commerce, the UK has a strong interest in all of those fields with all of those countries."

Noting that the model that the UAE has promoted in areas from international relations to life sciences underpins the agreements, Dr Fox said the task was to demonstrate in the UK and beyond how meaningful the co-operation between the states involved could become. "We want to see the Abraham Accord succeeding and play our part in that," he said. "When the prime minister met the leadership of the UAE in Downing Street, they talked about the common interests on trade and investment, on climate change, on life sciences, health care, future technologies and renewable energy."

With the opening of Dubai Expo later this year, Dr Fox sees a new platform for engagement on the accord. "Some of the leadership that's been put in by the UAE on this means this is the right time to be doing this," he said. "Of course with Expo coming up there's a further opportunity to highlight all of these things to a world that will be just opening up again."

Sheikh Fawaz Al Khalifa, the Bahraini ambassador to the UK, welcomed Dr Fox's recruitment and spoke of his experience of the region.

“We’re thrilled to have Liam Fox play a leading role in cementing the bridges of communication and collaboration between the Abraham Accord countries," Sheikh Fawaz told The National.

"Our shared view that the region's interests are best met by engagement, co-operation and understanding remains vital for regional peace.

"Dr Fox has been unfaltering in his support for positive engagement and dialogue in the Middle East.

"We have no doubt, with his commitment, insights and initiatives, improved relations between our governments and our peoples will continue to materialise.”

The announcement underlined that the accords are an opportunity for Israel and its Arab neighbours to "build a common future of shared prosperity, stability and security and they deserve our wholehearted support", he said.

"The purpose of the group is to provide a UK forum to promote the accords and the wider cause of peace across the region."

A day earlier, the UAE opened an embassy in Tel Aviv, months after becoming the first Arab nation in decades to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel.

The formal opening of the mission came after the UAE, Bahrain and Israel signed the accord in Washington last September.

In the weeks after the ceremony, Morocco and Sudan signed diplomatic accords with Israel.

Dr Fox said the Abraham Accord group would seek to ensure non-signatories such as Britain were also fully engaged in the process. "We have strong technical capabilities as the world's fifth biggest economy and fifth biggest military to be able to help," he said. "This is not replicating the diplomatic framework but trying to bring together some of those other forces that can strengthen the vision itself."