The United Arab Emirates has said that the United Arab Emirates has suspended an agreement until July 1 to inaugurate a visa-free trip for Israelis to the Gulf state, citing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Until then, Israeli citizens who want to travel to the UAE will have to get a visa, just like citizens of the UAE who want to travel to Israel, the ministry said on Monday. The UAE has taken a similar step in terms of travel from most European countries, as well as India and Pakistan, the Israeli ministry said.
Israel is working on its third exclusion and is discussing the possibility of extending it beyond January 21, as the number of new cases is still high.
The UAE ratified the visa-free travel agreement with Israel last week and it is expected to be in force for 30 days. The agreement follows a normalization agreement between the countries signed in September.
The announcement of the suspension comes a day after the cabinet in Israel voted to require all people returning from the UAE and Brazil to drive quarantine in hotels. A similar decision previously taken regarding travelers returning from South Africa and Zambia has been extended for ten days.