Israel, UAE weigh travel corridor after speedy vaccine rollouts

The Middle Eastern nations aim to implement the agreement in April, according to the UAE’s state-run news agency.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which have the world’s fastest inoculation programs, have started talks to establish a quarantine-free travel corridor for people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Israel leads the race to vaccinate its population. It has fully inoculated more than half its residents, while the UAE is on track for that goal by March-end. Cases in both countries have fallen from a peak in January. (Representative Image) (AFP)

The Middle Eastern nations aim to implement the agreement in April, according to the UAE’s state-run news agency. The corridor will facilitate travel for commercial, tourism and official purposes.

The talks come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to travel to the UAE on Thursday, his first known visit to the Gulf country after they normalized their relations last year.

Israel and the UAE last year agreed on 28 direct weekly flights connecting Tel Aviv with Abu Dhabi and Dubai before Israel barred foreign flights to limit exposure to new virus strains.

Israel leads the race to vaccinate its population. It has fully inoculated more than half its residents, while the UAE is on track for that goal by March-end. Cases in both countries have fallen from a peak in January.