Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday that it will allow all commercial flights to use its airspace, in an apparent goodwill gesture to Israel. The move will allow all Israeli civilian flights to use the Kingdom’s airspace without any restrictions and came after reports indicated that Saudi Arabia could agree to normalise ties with Israel.
In a statement on Twitter, Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority announced “the decision to open the Kingdom’s airspace for all air carriers” that meets its requirements. It added that the move was aimed at fulfilling Riyadh’s obligations under the 1944 Chicago Convention, which stipulates countries cannot discriminate against civilian aircraft.
It is also aimed at complementing “the efforts aimed at consolidating the Kingdom’s position as a global hub connecting three continents.”
While Israel was not directly mentioned in the statement, United States (US) officials have claimed that the announcement was made with the intent of improving ties with Israel. The move also comes as Biden will become the first US president to travel from Jerusalem to Riyadh later today.
For the books: 1st direct Israel-Jeddah flight just took off. Carrying reporters in Biden's entourage to Saudi Arabia
— avi scharf (@avischarf) July 15, 2022
Follow all Haaretz's @Bsamuels0 reports from therehttps://t.co/1qdKE6sjHb pic.twitter.com/oIHXuRVwF6
American officials have also stated that Biden could announce a normalisation deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel during his visit to Riyadh. Although it is not clear whether such a deal would entail complete normalisation.
A US official told the Times of Israel on Thursday that Biden “will announce the successful brokering of an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Egypt that will see Riyadh take steps toward normalisation with Israel.” The deal between Riyadh and Cairo surrounds the administration of the strategically important Tiran and Sanafir Islands in the Red Sea.
In 1950, Saudi Arabia transferred the islands to Egypt to be used as military bases against Israel. However, following the Egypt-Israel peace deal of 1979, the islands were demilitarised, and a multinational force, including Israeli observers, have been stationed at the islands ever since. In 2017, Egypt agreed to return the islands back to Saudi Arabia but it required Israeli approval.
4 \ The deal around the islands and the overflights, which the U.S. has been quietly negotiating for months, is a significant foreign policy achievement for the Biden administration in the Middle Easthttps://t.co/J92JEQj63D
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) July 15, 2022
Israel gave its approval the following year on the condition that Saudi Arabia signs an agreement ensuring Israel’s freedom of navigation in the region. Saudi Arabia has thus far failed to sign such an agreement with Israel, as the two countries do not maintain official ties. However, it is expected to agree to a deal with Israel regarding the transfer of the islands during Biden’s visit.
In this regard, Riyadh’s decision to allow all civilian aircraft to use its airspace was hailed by Biden. “President Biden welcomes and commends the historic decision by the leadership of Saudi Arabia to open Saudi airspace to all civilian carriers without discrimination, a decision that includes flights to and from Israel,” the White House said.
“This decision paves the way for a more integrated, stable, and secure Middle East region,” it added.
If Saudi Arabia decides to normalise ties with Israel, it would become the seventh Arab country to normalise ties with Israel and the fifth to do so since 2020 as part of the landmark Abraham Accords. While Egypt and Jordan respectively recognised Israel in 1979 and 1991, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco normalised ties with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords.