UAE’s Jewish Community Loses Its Longtime President, Solly Wolf
Solly Wolf, the longtime president of the Jewish community in the United Arab Emirates and a key figure in fostering interfaith ties in the Gulf, has died at the age of 75 after a prolonged illness, the community announced Wednesday.
Wolf, who moved to the UAE in 2002, played a central role in strengthening relations between the Jewish community and Emirati leadership. He worked tirelessly to promote coexistence and mutual respect, helping to establish a thriving Jewish presence in the UAE, particularly in the wake of the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and the Gulf nation.
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Known for his warmth and generosity, Wolf was widely respected across cultural and religious lines. “He was a remarkable person—someone you could always trust and admire for his wisdom and boundless empathy,” said Rabbi Levi Duchman, the chief rabbi of the UAE. “And above all, he knew how to tell a great story.”
In a 2020 interview, Wolf recalled how his business ventures initially brought him to the region. “I saw the potential in the Gulf states and traveled frequently to better understand the region,” he said. “Eventually, my trips became so frequent that commuting from Munich to Dubai became impractical. So in 2002, I decided to settle here permanently.”
Wolf often spoke about the sense of security he felt as a Jew in the Muslim-majority nation. “It is very safe for us here. We do not hide our identity,” he said. “We feel comfortable and free to pray, attend synagogue, and go anywhere. There is no hostility toward us—neither from the people nor from the authorities.”
