Dubai, Tel Aviv Resume Flights After Agreeing on Security Arrangements

Emirates airliners are seen on the tarmac in a general view of Dubai International Airport (file photo: Reuters)
Emirates airliners are seen on the tarmac in a general view of Dubai International Airport (file photo: Reuters)
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Dubai, Tel Aviv Resume Flights After Agreeing on Security Arrangements

Emirates airliners are seen on the tarmac in a general view of Dubai International Airport (file photo: Reuters)
Emirates airliners are seen on the tarmac in a general view of Dubai International Airport (file photo: Reuters)

The Israeli security agency, the Shin Bet, announced an agreement between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv on the security arrangement to allow Israeli airlines to resume a full schedule of flights to Dubai.

Non-stop flights will resume on Sunday, with about 12 daily trips between Tel Aviv and Dubai.

Last week, the head of Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, met with his Emirati counterparts and reached preliminary understandings on the matter.

The head of the Shin Bet security division held meetings in Dubai, during which the agreement on shared working principles and security arrangements was completed.

A dispute over airport security erupted about a year ago when the two Israeli airlines, El Al and IsrAir, requested a particular terminal at Dubai Airport for travelers to Tel Aviv, run by Israeli security men.

Dubai rejected the request, saying it is a violation of Emirati sovereignty and harms the work of the airport. It also indicated that it is unwilling to dedicate a terminal for the Israelis because of the millions of passengers at its airport.

Authorities also noted that dozens of airlines fly from Dubai to Tel Aviv without this arrangement, indicating the Israeli request is not logical.

In response, Israeli companies reduced their number of flights to Dubai, and about 50,000 Israeli citizens who bought tickets could not travel.

However, Emirati, Turkish, and European planes continued to fly from Dubai to Israel, incurring Israeli airlines significant losses.

Several advisers of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Ministry and Shin Bet officials contacted their counterparts in Dubai to resolve the crisis in recent weeks.

Israel’s Transport Minister Merav Michaeli held talks with international bodies to solve the crisis.

Michaeli claimed a misunderstanding in the communications between the two sides due to the many channels that caused the issue and explained to Bennett that the Emiratis wanted to work with one senior Israeli official authorized to address the matter.

Bennett assigned the head of the Shin Bet and his assistants to take charge, and talks with the Emiratis have been intensively conducted since last February.

Although the two parties did not disclose the details of the agreement and the nature of the security arrangements, they confirmed that the flights would resume Sunday.



Saudi, Romanian Defense Ministers Discuss Regional and International Developments

 Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi, Romanian Defense Ministers Discuss Regional and International Developments

 Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz held on Tuesday a phone call with his Romanian counterpart Stefan Radu Oprea.

At the outset of the call, Prince Khalid congratulated the Romanian minister on his appointment as the minister of national defense.

The ministers reviewed the existing military and defense cooperation between their countries and ways to strengthen and further develop it. They also discussed the latest regional and international developments.


Saudi Arabia Reiterates its Commitment to Defending its Sovereignty Against Any Threat

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Reiterates its Commitment to Defending its Sovereignty Against Any Threat

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday the Kingdom's unwavering commitment to defending its sovereignty and responding firmly to any threat or aggression targeting its security or the safety of its citizens and residents.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the Cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.

The Crown Prince briefed the Cabinet on the two messages addressed to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Crown Prince from King of Malaysia Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, as well as the message the Crown Prince sent to China’s President Xi Jinping.

He also briefed the Cabinet on his phone calls with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Romanian President Nicușor Dan, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and the outcomes of his reception of Jordan’s Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II.

The Cabinet reviewed international developments and Saudi Arabia's ongoing diplomatic efforts, in coordination with brotherly and friendly nations, to consolidate the region's security, safeguard stability, and sustain development and prosperity for its peoples.

The Cabinet reviewed the outcomes of the Kingdom's participation in meetings held under the auspices of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the G20, as part of its efforts to support multilateral action aimed at strengthening mechanisms for joint cooperation across various fields, serving mutual interests and benefits, and contributing to effective and sustainable solutions to current global challenges, particularly those related to maritime navigation security, energy, food security, global trade, and supply chains.

The Cabinet reaffirmed the Kingdom's rejection of all violations that threaten the security and safety of maritime navigation and global energy supplies, stressing the importance of urgent action by the international community to ensure maritime security, safeguard the flow of international trade, and enforce international law in this regard.

The Cabinet stressed that, despite the region's challenges, the Kingdom has continued to reliably supply energy to global markets, supported by long-term investments in infrastructure, storage facilities, and supply chains, as well as an ecosystem capable of responding to changing circumstances with the highest levels of technical and operational capability. These efforts have contributed to strengthening global energy security and the resilience of supply networks.


Coalition Says Drone Intercepted and Destroyed in Makkah Region

Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Coalition Says Drone Intercepted and Destroyed in Makkah Region

Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki said on Tuesday that a drone was intercepted and destroyed in the Makkah Region.

On Monday, the Coalition said two drones were intercepted and destroyed in the Riyadh Region.

Al-Malki added that air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward the southern region.