Saudi Arabia opens airspace to 'all carriers'
Saudi Arabia announced on Friday it was lifting restrictions on "all carriers" using its airspace, an apparent gesture of openness towards Israel hours before US President Joe Biden's arrival. The US leader welcomed the "historic" decision, the latest conciliatory move by Riyadh concerning the Jewish state, which it has refused to recognise despite intensive efforts by the Israelis to establish ties with Arab countries. The Saudi civil aviation authority "announces the decision to open the Kingdom's airspace for all air carriers that meet the requirements of the authority for overflying", it said in a statement. The decision was made "to complement the Kingdom's efforts aimed at consolidating the Kingdom's position as a global hub connecting three continents". Biden said in a statement later on Friday that Riyadh's move came "thanks to months of steady diplomacy between my administration and Saudi Arabia", where he is set to travel to as part of a Middle East tour. "As we mark this important moment, Saudi Arabia's decision can help build momentum toward Israel's further integration into the region, including with Saudi Arabia," Biden said. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid thanked Biden on Friday for "long, intense and secret diplomatic negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the United States" to reach a deal on overflights. "And I want to thank the Saudi leadership for opening their airspace. This is only a first step," Lapid said. Prior to Biden's arrival in Israel at the start of his Middle East trip on Wednesday, Washington had hinted that more Arab nations could take steps to pursue relations with the Jewish state. That spurred speculation about whether Riyadh would alter its long-held position of not establishing official bilateral ties until the conflict with the Palestinians is resolved. The kingdom did not show any opposition when its regional ally, the United Arab Emirates, established diplomatic ties with Israel in 2020, followed by Bahrain and Morocco under the US-brokered Abraham Accords. Yet analysts have stressed that any immediate gains are likely to be incremental and that Riyadh will probably not agree to formal ties – not during Biden's visit or while King Salman, 86, still reigns. (AFP)