Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday signed four bilateral agreements, mediated by the US, following its historic normalisation of ties last month, as a senior Emirati delegation made a landmark visit to the Jewish state.
Under one of the agreements, Israelis will be allowed to travel to the Emirates visa-free, the first Arab nation to allow this, with Emiratis given the same right when travelling to the Jewish state.The move, must first be ratified by both countries’ parliaments.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the UAE expressed its wish to facilitate the reciprocal opening of embassies in Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi “as soon as possible”.
An oil pipeline running from the Red Sea resort of Eilat to the Mediterranean port city of Ashkelon will be extended to the United Arab Emirates, providing the UAE with a bridge to get fossil fuel directly to Europe, an Israeli company said Tuesday. It is seen as one of the most significant collaborations to have emerged since the countries established diplomatic ties.
The memorandum of understanding is between the state-owned Europe-Asia Pipeline Co., formerly the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Co., and a company called MED-RED Land Bridge, which is a joint venture between Israelis and Emiratis, according to an announcement.
During a welcoming ceremony for the UAE officials at Ben Gurion Airport, the United States, Israel and the UAE also announced the creation of a trilateral fund seeking to foster regional cooperation and prosperity. The $3 billion Abraham Fund will be based in Jerusalem.
On Monday, Etihad Airways Flight EY9607 — lauded as the first commercial shuttle from the UAE to Israel — landed at Ben-Gurion. That flight came a day after the two nations agreed to enable 28 weekly direct flights between their territories.
On Thursday, the Knesset approved Israel’s normalisation deal with the UAE by an overwhelming majority.
