Modeling the bi-national city process of Eilat–Aqaba, a bi-national city in a cold peace setting

Abstract

Officially at peace since 1994, Israel and Jordan have since established multiple cooperation schemes with the aim of transitioning from a described cold peace to a self-sustaining warm peace. One cooperation scheme that is particularly interesting from the point of view of Border and Urban Studies is the case of Eilat, Israel and Aqaba, Jordan. These tourist cities, located in the Arava Valley, are both physically isolated and strategically placed on the Red Sea coast. Since 2001 they have been considered as a potential bi-national city, and so far remain as the only one studied in a cold peace setting. Yet doubt persists as to whether a bi-national city can actually exist under such conditions. The purpose of this article is to firmly establish the place of Eilat–Aqaba as a bi-national city through the use of a unique analysis of the region that updates and elaborates findings dating from 2001. This concludes in modeling the Bi-national City Process of Eilat–Aqaba.