Following talks between the Emirati and Lebanese presidents on Wednesday, the UAE announced it will lift a four-year ban on its citizens traveling to Lebanon and expressed willingness to support the country’s pressing reconstruction needs in a major step toward repairing ties severed in 2021.
What happened: A joint statement from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan released Thursday read that the two countries would “allow citizens to travel after taking the necessary measures to facilitate movement between the two."
The announcement came a day after Aoun and Sheikh Mohammed met in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
In addition to lifting the UAE’s travel ban on Lebanon, the statement outlined several key areas of cooperation. They included a pledge by the UAE to “inform Lebanon of the UAE’s successful experiences” in governance and institutional practices, alongside the establishment of a joint business council. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development is expected to send a delegation to Lebanon to “discuss and evaluate available joint cooperation projects.” The fund manages the UAE's foreign aid programs and often provides loans for development projects in both the public and the private sectors.
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