UAE and Israel confirm plans for quarantine-free travel corridor

THE UAE AND ISRAEL will establish a quarantine-free travel corridor between the two countries for travellers who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The announcement follows high-level discussions between the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The proposed corridor is set to be introduced this month (April), according to government sources.

The UAE and Israel have led the world in terms of COVID-19 vaccination rates, with the former administering 6,367,861 doses of the vaccine to date, while the latter has inoculated more than half its population of 9.3 million.

Israelis flocked to the UAE for tourism and business following the signing of the Abraham Accords in August 2020. According to Israeli government data, 130,000 Israeli tourists have visited the UAE to date.

The UAE temporarily suspended its visa-free travel agreement with Israel in January as a result of a spike in COVID-19 cases, until July 1.

UAE low-cost carrier flydubai currently operates direct flights between the two countries, while Etihad Airways launched its Abu Dhabi-Tel Aviv route on March 28.