Israel Lists First Commercial Passenger Flight to UAE on Monday

Cars seen outside Abu Dhabi International Airport
Cars seen outside Abu Dhabi International Airport
TT

Israel Lists First Commercial Passenger Flight to UAE on Monday

Cars seen outside Abu Dhabi International Airport
Cars seen outside Abu Dhabi International Airport

Israel has listed an El Al flight taking off Monday for Abu Dhabi, which would be Israel's first commercial passenger flight to the United Arab Emirates after the two countries agreed to a US-brokered deal to normalize relations.

The website of the Israel Airports Authority listed the flight on Friday. It said the flight would be numbered LY971, a nod to the UAE’s international calling code number. A return flight to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport on Tuesday will be numbered LY972, Israel’s international calling code.

The direct flight between Ben Gurion Airport and the UAE's political capital of Abu Dhabi is due to carry an Israeli delegation and top aides to US President Donald Trump.

Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner will be among the US officials on the El Al flight departing on Aug. 31 at 10 a.m. (0700 GMT), Reuters quoted a US official as saying.

There are no official air links between Israel and the UAE.

In May, an Etihad Airways plane flew from the UAE to Tel Aviv to deliver supplies to use for the novel coronavirus epidemic, marking the first known flight by a UAE carrier to Israel.

The Israel-UAE deal awaits negotiations on details such as opening embassies, trade and travel links before it is officially signed.



Saudi Arabia Reiterates Need to Reach Just Solution to Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
TT

Saudi Arabia Reiterates Need to Reach Just Solution to Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)

The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday its welcoming of the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) advisory opinion on Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories and the court’s confirmation of the illegality of the Israeli presence in the territories over the past 57 years.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah.

The government renewed the Kingdom’s position on the need for practical and credible steps to be taken to reach a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict according to the 2002 Arab peace initiative and international resolutions.

The cabinet was briefed on the telephone talks held between Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, with French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

The calls focused on joint relations and ways to boost and develop them.

The cabinet reviewed the latest regional and international developments and Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to end the war on Gaza and support peace in Yemen to achieve regional security and stability.

It urged the international community, particularly active and influential parties, to assume its responsibilities and stop tensions in the region.

At the domestic level, the cabinet reviewed the latest economic developments and key indicators, including the stabilization of inflation in recent months due to the robustness of the Kingdom's economy and the effective measures and policies implemented to address the ramifications of rising global prices.