United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel have signed four agreements during the first high-level visit from the Gulf state to Tel Aviv since the two countries establish official ties last month.
Emirati Finance Minister Obaid Humaid al-Tayer and several senior officials from the UAE on Tuesday were accompanied by United States Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on the Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi to Ben-Gurion international airport.
Speaking at a welcoming ceremony at the airport, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump and UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for their roles in sealing the normalisation deal.
Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Culture and Public Diplomacy, signed on behalf of the UAE, while Shlomo Mor-Yosef, Director-General of the Population and Immigration Authority of the Ministry of Interior, signed on behalf of Israel.
“The entry into force of the memorandum will allow UAE passport holders to enter the State of Israel without a visa,” Ghobash said, noting that this reflects both countries’ desire to strengthen promising relations and opportunities for cooperation that await the two countries, open up new horizons for cooperation in the region, and unlock economic potential with the aim of achieving the well-being of the peoples of the region and ensuring a better future for coming generations.”
He underscored that the mutual visa waiver will have a positive impact on tourism, trade, investment, and other sectors, as well as strengthen cooperation between both countries.