Riyadh: Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that they raised restrictions on “all operators” using airspace, the signal of openness to Israel ahead of the arrival of US President Joe Biden.
The US leader welcomed the “historic” decision, the latest resistance step by Riyadh about the Jewish state, who had refused to admit even though there was an intensive effort by the Israelites to build relations with Arab countries.
The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority “announced the decision to open the royal airspace for all aerial operators that meet the authority requirements for overflying,” he said in a statement on Twitter.
The decision was made “to complete the royal efforts aimed at consolidating the kingdom’s position as a global center that connects three continents”.
This decision is the result of persistent and principled presidential diplomacy with Saudi Arabia for months, which culminates on his visit today,” US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in his statement, adding that Biden “praised” it.
He said the US president, who would land in Saudi Arabia for a controversial visit on Friday as part of a trip to the Middle East, will have more to say about this breakthrough today.”
Before the arrival of Biden in Israel at the beginning of its Middle East trip on Wednesday, Washington hinted that more Arab countries could take steps to pursue relations with Israel, spur speculation about whether Riyadh would change the old position that did not build official bilateral bilateral officials Bilateral Official Official Official Official Official Official Bonds Until Conflict with Palestine was resolved.
The kingdom did not show opposition when its regional allies, the United Arab Emirates, built diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020, followed by Bahrain and Morocco under the Abraham’s agreement which was mediated by the US.
However, analysts have stressed that any direct profit tends to be gradual and that Riyadh might not agree to formal bonds – not during the visit of Biden or while Raja Salman, 86, is still governing.
Biden will travel to the City of Saudi Jeddah on the Red Sea Coast on Friday afternoon, although there is a previous oath to treat the kingdom as “paria” for the murder of 2018 and slaughtering Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
He will travel directly from the Jewish country to Saudi Arabia – becoming the first US president to fly from there to Arab countries that do not recognize him.
In 2017, its predecessor, Donald Trump, traveled upside down.
Major changes ‘
Shortly after the Abraham Agreement was announced in 2020, Saudi Arabia allowed Israeli aircraft to pass on the trip to Abu Dhabi and announced that the UAE flights to “all countries” could turn on the kingdom.
The announcement of Friday effectively raised overflight restrictions on aircraft traveling to and from Israel.
Israel has encouraged the right of overflight to shorten relations with goals in Asia.
Israeli authorities also want Muslim pilgrims from Israel to travel directly to Saudi Arabia.
Currently they are required to do expensive termination in a third country.
There has been a “big change in Saudi thinking” about Israel under de facto Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who Biden is expected to meet on Friday, said and Shapiro, former Washington ambassador to Israel.
Prince Mohammed “and to some extent even the king himself has indicated that they see normalization with Israel as positive,” said Shapiro, now with the Atlantic Council.
They support the Abraham’s agreement. Their normalization may require time and can be launched gradually, but it seems that it can almost not be avoided that it will happen.”
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