A delegation comprising officials from the United Arab Emirates is slated to arrive in Israel on Tuesday, for a first visit since the Persian Gulf power and the Jewish state normalized ties.
The visit seeks to continue advancing the practical aspects of the peace treaty Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi signed in Washington on Sept. 15.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
One of the main issues on the agenda is the influx of Gulf tourists to Israel, particularly to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
The site is home to al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, following the Kaaba in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.
"Jerusalem will host between 100,000 and 250,000 Muslim tourists a year – they dream of visiting Al-Aqsa," said Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahum, who visited the UAE last week.
The deputy mayor, who also oversees its tourism industry, told Israel Hayom, "Just as we developed Christian tourism, we plan to work to develop Muslim tourism. There is huge turnaround in the works."
However, the biggest threat to future Muslim tourism in Israel seems to be the Palestinian Authority.
Ramallah castigated a UAE economic delegation that visited Israel over the weekend at the invitation of Israeli irrigation trailblazer Netafim, and the officials were even accosted by Palestinians after coming out of a prayer service in al-Aqsa Mosque.
Fatah's Jerusalem office even went as far as issued a statement saying that the UAE officials' visit to the site "was no different than a visit by settlers or the soldiers of the occupation. They are not wanted here."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
