Sep. 2--CAIRO -- Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday that it would allow all flights to and from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to use its airspace, weeks after the UAE agreed to normalize ties with Israel.
Saudi Arabia's state news agency SPA reported that the monarchy's civil aviation authorities had approved a UAE request to allow flights coming to and from all countries to fly over Saudi airspace.
The official did not name Israel, with which Saudi Arabia has no diplomatic ties.
Israel has historically avoided flying over Saudi airspace, and in the past, Israeli airlines have had to make detours via the Gulf to reach destinations in Asia.
On August 13, Israel and the UAE announced a US-brokered agreement to establish diplomatic ties in return for Israel suspending a controversial plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
On Monday, the first direct commercial flight between Israel and the UAE landed in Abu Dhabi. That flight flew over Saudi Arabia.
The deal makes the UAE the third Arab country after Egypt and Jordan -- and the first Arab Gulf one -- to have diplomatic links with Israel.
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