Israel-UAE visa-free travel to start Oct. 10

JERUSALEM (AA) – A visa exemption agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will enter into force on Oct. 10, Israeli Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked said on Tuesday.

Shaked arrived in the Gulf state on Monday for talks with Emirati officials.

Israel and the UAE have reached an agreement for the mutual exemption of visas for both countries’ citizens within the framework of their agreement to normalize relations.

In January, UAE suspended the agreement with Israel in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus.

The UAE was the first Arab country to sign a visa waiver agreement with Israel.

On Sept. 15, 2020, Israel and the UAE signed a US-sponsored deal to normalize their relations, a move that was followed by Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

*Writing by Bassel Barakat in Ankara