Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates have signed a memorandum providing for the mutual recognition and exchange of national driver's licenses, a step intended to streamline administrative procedures and make the process more convenient for citizens of both countries.

The memorandum was signed during the visit of Kazakhstan's Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov to Abu Dhabi, where he met with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, The Caspian Post reports, citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan's Interior Ministry stated that the main outcome of the meeting was the signing of the Memorandum on the Mutual Recognition and Exchange of Driver's Licenses between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates.

According to the ministry, the agreement is designed to simplify administrative procedures and provide additional convenience for citizens of both countries.

The ministry also noted that around 400,000 Kazakh citizens travel to the UAE each year, while approximately 14,000 Kazakhstanis live permanently in the Emirates.

Under the memorandum, both countries will mutually recognize national driver's licenses and introduce a simplified procedure for exchanging them in cases covered by the agreement. The memorandum will take effect once Kazakhstan and the UAE complete the required domestic legal procedures.