Watch: First direct commercial flight from Israel to the UAE lands in Abu Dhabi

The first-ever direct commercial flight from Israel to the UAE landed at the presidential airport in Abu Dhabi on Monday afternoon.

The historic flight had on board a delegation of Israelis and Americans, including Jared Kushner – son-in-law and Senior Adviser to US President Donald Trump – that departed from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv earlier on Monday.

Flight 971 from Israel to the #UAE has just landed at @AUH in #AbuDhabi ??✈️?? pic.twitter.com/q1GutmutC1

— Israel ישראל (@Israel) August 31, 2020

The delegation on board the El Al flight 971 which departed from Ben Gurion at 11.21am local time also includes US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and Meir Ben-Shabbat, National Security Adviser and head of the Israeli National Security Council.

הבוקר המריאה הטיסה הישירה הראשונה בהיסטוריה בין ישראל ואיחוד האמירויות! מרגש!
سلام Peace שלום

צילום: @sivan_farag pic.twitter.com/mzY2gwnLvh

— EL AL אל על (@EL_AL_ISRAEL) August 31, 2020

The aircraft had the word peace written written above the cockpit window in three languages: English, Arabic and Hebrew.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu too tweeted on Monday morning adding: “For the first time in history: an Israeli commercial flight to the United Arab Emirates. This is what peace looks like for Israel [and] United Arab Emirates.”

לראשונה בהיסטוריה: טיסה מסחרית ישראלית לאיחוד האמירויות. ככה נראה שלום תמורת שלום??✈️??

בוקר טוב ישראל! pic.twitter.com/8To00kzHTf

— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) August 31, 2020

On August 13, the UAE and Israel agreed to the Abraham Accord whereby the UAE would normalise relations with the Israel, in exchange for Israel halting all further annexation of Palestinian territories.

Read: UAE, Israel agree on historic deal to establish diplomatic ties

On Saturday, the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan officially abolished a previous law, the Federal Law No. 15 of 1972, boycotting Israel.

Read: UAE President Sheikh Khalifa scraps Israel boycott law

Therefore individuals and companies in the UAE are free to enter into commercial, financial and trade agreements with Israeli entities without incurring any penalties.

Israeli and UAE entities have already begun signing agreements across a sectors including healthcare and technology.

The two countries are expected to further cooperate in areas including banking, investment, tourism, telecoms and energy, among others.

Israel’s Finance Ministry sees potential for annual bilateral trade starting at $2bn and building up to $6.5bn, according to deputy chief economist Lev Drucker.

Read: Israel sees $6.5bn in trade as UAE peace talks kick off