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Abraham Accords
Sept 15, 2020· Treaty or event
FactTreaties, membership, measured data, events.
US-brokered agreements, first signed on September 15, 2020, under which Arab and Muslim-majority states normalized relations with Israel.
See it on the Geopolitics map →The picture
The UAE and Bahrain signed at the White House. Morocco followed in December 2020, after the US recognized its claim to Western Sahara, and Sudan in January 2021, though its deal was never fully implemented. Kazakhstan, which already had ties with Israel, joined in November 2025. Members opened embassies, direct flights and trade; a UAE–Israel free-trade deal took effect in 2023. In return for the UAE deal, Israel suspended plans to annex parts of the West Bank.
Why it matters
They broke the long-standing Arab position that recognizing Israel must wait for a Palestinian state, and built a US-backed Israeli–Gulf front against Iran.
Key facts and numbers
The signed texts published by the State Department, embassy openings, and Israeli and Emirati trade statistics showing rapid growth after 2020.
What to watch
Whether Saudi Arabia joins: it demands a credible path to Palestinian statehood, which Israel's government rejects. The Gaza and Iran wars have slowed expansion.
Connections (4)
▸Kazakhstan joined Abraham AccordsFact
The relationship
Kazakhstan announced on November 6, 2025 that it would join the Abraham Accords, the first Central Asian member. It has had full relations with Israel since 1992, so the step was largely symbolic: a gesture to Washington that helped Trump show momentum for accords stalled by the Gaza war.
Since when and why
Announced in Washington around the C5+1 summit of Central Asian leaders, ahead of President Tokayev's meeting with Trump.
How we know
White House and Kazakh government statements and Israel's welcome; Kazakhstan later also signed Trump's Board of Peace charter.
What to watch
What Kazakhstan gained in return, such as minerals or trade deals, and whether other Central Asian or Caucasus states follow.
▸United Arab Emirates joined Abraham AccordsFact
The relationship
The UAE was the first Gulf state to normalize with Israel, signing the Abraham Accords on September 15, 2020 in return for Israel suspending West Bank annexation plans and a US offer of F-35 jets, a sale that later stalled. It became Israel's main Arab trade partner, with a free-trade deal in force since 2023.
Since when and why
Driven by Abu Dhabi's Mohammed bin Zayed; signed at the White House alongside Bahrain and Netanyahu during Trump's first term.
How we know
The signed peace treaty, the 2022 UAE–Israel trade agreement, embassy openings and published trade data.
What to watch
How firmly the UAE holds as Gaza and West Bank tensions rise; in 2025 it warned that annexation would be a 'red line'.
▸Abraham Accords normalized Arab ties with IsraelFact
The relationship
The US-brokered accords broke the long Arab rule of no ties with Israel before a Palestinian state. The UAE and Bahrain signed in 2020, followed by Morocco and Sudan, bringing embassies, flights, trade and defense cooperation. The ties survived the Gaza war, though public anger in Arab states grew.
Since when and why
White House, September 15, 2020; Morocco, December 2020; Sudan, January 2021 (never fully implemented); Kazakhstan announced it would join in November 2025.
How we know
The signed accords, embassy openings, bilateral trade data showing UAE–Israel trade of several billion dollars a year, and reported air-defense cooperation.
What to watch
Debated: whether sidelining the Palestinian issue helped set the stage for October 7, and whether more Arab states will join without a Palestinian state.
▸Saudi Arabia is courted to join Abraham AccordsWidely agreed
The relationship
Saudi recognition is the prize Washington and Israel most want, since the kingdom guards Islam's holiest sites. 2023 talks linked it to a US defense treaty and civil nuclear help, but October 7 froze them. Riyadh now says it will join only with a clear path to a Palestinian state.
Since when and why
US–Saudi–Israeli talks in 2023; revived by Trump in 2025, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's White House visit in November 2025.
How solid?
Public statements by Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi foreign ministry communiqués and US officials. Saudi Arabia has not signed; most analysts see it as the key holdout.
What to watch
Whether Riyadh would settle for a symbolic Palestinian commitment, and whether any Israeli government could offer even that, remains open.