Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed on Tuesday the first UAE delegation to Israel, stressing the two countries' keenness to broaden cooperation following a US-brokered deal to normalize ties, signed last September.
In his word, Netanyahu announced that Israel and UAE have agreed to reciprocal visa-free travel, making Emirati citizens the first in the Arab world to not require Israeli entry visas.
"We are exempting our nationals from visas," Netanyahu said.
“Today we are making history in a way that will stand for generations,” Netanyahu said at the ceremony. “We will remember this day, a glorious day of peace.”
The Israel-UAE visa exemption agreement will mean that citizens from both countries will be allowed to enter each other’s countries without having to go through the hassle of applying for a visa first.
However, it will enter into force only after it is ratified by both countries, a process that will require a vote in the Knesset.
The ceremony in Tel Aviv was attended by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and two senior UAE ministers — part of the first high-level delegation from the Gulf nation to visit Israel.
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