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UAE, Israel to recognize local drivers licenses in new MoU
March 31, 2022
The UAE and Israel have signed an agreement to recognize local drivers licenses as part of an MoU signed at Dubai’s EXPO 2020, the Emirates news agency WAM reported on Thursday.
The announcement was made after the agreement was signed between Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Interior, and Merav Michaeli, the Israeli Minister of Transport.
The MoU, which is yet to be implemented, will allow visitors and residents from either country to use their local license to operate a vehicle in the other country.
The agreement also allows either license holders to convert their licenses to the local equivalent without redoing the theoretical and practical driving tests.
The move is seen as another progressive move after the two countries united under the US-brokered deal known as the Abraham Accords, creating a new regional dynamic based on mutual concern over Iran.
On March 27, foreign ministers from the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, and Morocco attended a series of diplomatic meetings in Israel following a tri-lateral meeting between the leaders of UAE, Israel, and Egypt on March 22.
The meetings came at a time of uncertainty over Washington’s security commitment in the region.