UAE can help the startup nation scale, says top Emirati businessman

"Israel is the capital of innovation and is also the capital of startups. We in the UAE are the scale-up capital. If you innovate and produce you need to reach the world and the UAE is second to none in reaching every nook and cranny around the world. From Santiago in Chile, to the north of Japan, this is an opportunity for Israel to use the UAE to reach everywhere," Thani Al Shirawi, Vice-Chairman and Deputy Managing Director at the Al Shirawi Group of Companies said Wednesday during Calcalist, Bank Leumi, and Reshet 13’s Israel-Dubai Conference.

The Al Shirawi Group consists of more than 30 companies that are listed as the Top 100 Influential Companies in the Arab World by Forbes. Al Shirawi is involved in the oil and gas industry, engineering, and the transportation and logistics industries.

"Israel has signed peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, but that has been a cold peace and that is why it hasn't been successful," added Al Shirawi. "But this marriage has to work. This marriage will be an economical marriage, a commercial marriage, where we will need each other, and when we need each other this is an eternal partnership towards prosperity."

"I am passionate about peace but I'm also a businessman," he added.