Cargo from Dubai Arrives in Haifa Port

On Monday the first ship carrying cargo from Dubai Jebel Ali port to Israel’s Haifa Port arrived

Unloaded off the MSC Paris were eight containers filled with electronics, iron, firefighting equipment, and cleaning supplies. It was one of the first cargo ships to make the journey between the two ports.

It is supposed to bring cargo from the Emirates on a weekly basis, according to Port2Port. Exports from Israel to the Emirates are also being considered.

This marks a new trade line between Israel and the UAE. A journey from Jebel Ali port to the northern Israeli port city of Haifa would have been unthinkable a few months ago.

The two countries announced a normalisation deal in August, which laid the ground for a potentially profitable new trade route.

From a strategic realignment of Middle East nations, this diplomatic breakthrough has stemmed . Israel and Gulf Arab nations were led by Sunni rulers, who face what they recognize as a shared threat from Iran.

It is also grounded in economics and potential collaborations. Particularly in the fields of business, investment and technology.

According to Israeli officials’ estimates, bilateral trade could reach as much as $4 billion a year. Moreover, nearly all goods will have to travel by sea.

A Symbolic Event

Eshel Armony, chairman of the Haifa Port Company board of directors said, this is  an exciting and historic event.  He said, the way the first ship with cargo from the Emirates arrived was symbolic. The approval of the historic agreement in the Israeli government and the ship’s arrival happened at exactly the same time.

The Haifa Port has proven again its importance to the Israeli economy. They’re convinced that this importance will only intensify at the end of the privatization process in which they are now.

They’re going to see this line once a week by MSC, and maybe later on they’ll have even more. He hopes that will happen quickly, he added.

The MSC (Paris) was part of its Indus Express MSC service, which originates in the United Arab Emirates. It calls at Indian ports, the Mediterranean and the United States, said an MSC spokesman.

Last month on the Indus Express service, an MSC vessel made a low-profile stop in Haifa. This was before the signing of the UAE-Israel normalisation deal. Moreover, the signing took place in a high-profile ceremony hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House on Sept. 15.