Saudi Arabia says that it will open its airspace to all air carriers, which is also going to pave way for more flights to and from Israel. The decision comes just as United States President Joe Biden is set to fly to Saudi Arabia from Israel on Friday as part of a regional tour.
According to the details, the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said on Thursday that country’s airspace was now open to all carriers that meet its requirements for overflights, in line with international conventions that say there should be no discrimination between civil aircraft.
GACA added the decision is part of the Saudi Arabia’s efforts to make the kingdom a global hub connecting three continents and to enhance international air connectivity. This means shorter flights from Asia to Israel as airlines will no longer be required to take a detour around the Kingdom.
However, Saudi Arabia has been making exceptions in the past by allowing use of its airspace for flights between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain since the two Gulf neighbors established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2022 under US mediation.
