UAE announces $1.9m aid for development of Hebron city in occupied West Bank

The UAE has announced aid of 7.3 million Emirati dirhams ($1.99 million) to support Palestinians in the municipality of Hebron in the occupied Palestinian territories, Emirati news agency WAM reported on Friday.

The grant will contribute to the continuing development of the West Bank city.

The announcement came after Abu Dhabi's Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) head met with a Palestinian delegation, headed by Hebron Mayor Tayseer Abu Sneineh, local reports said.

In the meeting, they discussed the implementation of the initiative and ways to enhance cooperation in municipal work.

President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed Bin Zayed issued "a directive to provide 7.3 million dirhams to support the municipality of Hebron in Palestine", WAM said.

The move was part of an initiative by Abu Dhabi's Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), in cooperation with the Emirati-Palestinian Friendship Club, WAM added.

It came after the UAE announced earlier this month a contribution of $20 million (73.6m Emirati dirhams) to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations, announced the UAE's contribution, which will be disbursed over the next two years.

Since 2018, the UAE's assistance to Palestine has amounted to $541m, including $139.3m through the UNRWA.

The donations came after the UAE normalised ties with Israel in September 2020 as part of the controversial US-brokered Abraham Accords, which also saw Bahrain and Morocco follow suit.

The controversial normalisation deal, which broke decades of Arab consensus, has been slammed by Palestinian factions across the board as a betrayal of their cause.

It saw the UAE sign trade agreements with Israel expected to reach more than $10bn a year within the first five years.