Dubai-Tel Aviv flights to fly through Saudi airspace: reports

A senior advisor to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi told reporters that flights between the UAE and Israel would pass through Saudi airspace.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab Staff

16 August, 2020

Saudi Arabia will allow the flights over its airspace [Getty]

Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow Tel Aviv-bound flights from Dubai and back to fly through its airspace, reports said, after the two countries struck a normalisation deal.

Citing a report in Hebrew, Arabi21 said on Sunday that the normalisation agreement had received "great attention" from Israelis wishing to visit the Emirates.

A senior advisor to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed was quoted saying holders of Israeli passports "will be able to visit the Emirates within three to five months".

Flights from Tel Aviv to Dubai will pass over Saudi Arabia, the unnamed source said.

Saudi Arabia first opened its airspace to Israel-bound passenger planes in March 2018.

"In the coming weeks, teams from the two sides will meet to formulate bilateral relations, including the inauguration of two embassies in Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv, but as a first step, only low-level diplomatic missions or consulates will be opened," said the chief advisor.

Read also: Saudi Arabia will 'inevitably' normalise ties with Israel: Kushner

Tel-Aviv based reporter Itay Blumental claimed in a seperate report that Israeli businessmen had already been travelling to Abu Dhabi and Dubai on special visas, in addition to Israeli tourists who hold dual citizenship.

"In recent years, there has been a significant increase in business flights between the two countries," Blumental said, claiming diplomats often made a stop in Jordan, Egypt and Cyprus rather than fly direct.