White House adviser Jared Kushner takes part in a press briefing. Reuters
White House adviser Jared Kushner takes part in a press briefing. Reuters
White House adviser Jared Kushner takes part in a press briefing. Reuters
White House adviser Jared Kushner takes part in a press briefing. Reuters

Kushner: Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to open airspace to Israel


Joyce Karam
  • English
  • Arabic

Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner said on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia and Bahrain would allow Israeli flights to pass over their territory.

Mr Kushner said he had been told of the decisions by the two countries to open their airspace to all traffic to and from the UAE during his trip to the region last week, which included stops in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

"[Saudi Arabia] agreed to open their airspace ... to all eastward travel," he said.

"Bahrain, the next day, we were there, they did the same thing where they opened up their airspace."

But Mr Kushner claimed that any Israeli flights would have to ask for a permit from Saudi authorities beforehand.

Mr Kushner said the new arrangements would make travelling around the region and beyond easier. AP
Mr Kushner said the new arrangements would make travelling around the region and beyond easier. AP

Spokespeople for the Saudi and Bahraini embassies in Washington were not immediately available for comment.

Mr Kushner spoke of changes in the region, less than a week away from the signing ceremony Abraham Accord between the UAE, Israel and the US, due to be held at the White House.

“Countries are starting to let go of old conflicts and move in the direction of peace,” he said.

He said the administration of President Donald Trump would be ready to sit down with the Palestinians when they were willing to come to the table, but it was not pressuring them to do so.

“We have chosen not to chase them but the moment that they're ready to engage, we believe that we have the ability to make a peace deal between them and Israel,” Mr Kushner said.

The Palestinian Authority cut diplomatic ties with the US after President Trump moved his country’s embassy to Jerusalem in 2018.

Mr Kushner said the White House ceremony on Tuesday between the UAE and Israel would be a landmark moment for US policy.

"This is something that should be bipartisan," he said. "We will invite Democrats or Republicans to be here.”

US President Donald Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. AFP
US President Donald Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. AFP

Leaders of both parties have praised the agreement and will be invited to the ceremony, Mr Kushner said.

But as far as the Israeli and Emirati delegations are concerned, that would be up to each of the individual countries to decide.

Mr Trump was nominated on Wednesday for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize by Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, for his efforts in brokering the peace agreement.

Mr Kushner, who is also Mr Trump’s son-in-law, said that the US President felt “very, very, very honoured to be nominated this morning for the Nobel Peace Prize”.

The signing ceremony will be held on Tuesday at the White House.

Mr Trump will be joined by the UAE Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

INDIA SQUADS

India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar

India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul

Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
Henry Holt

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Courses%20at%20Istituto%20Marangoni%2C%20Dubai
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUndergraduate%20courses%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EInterior%20Design%3B%20Product%20Design%3B%20Visual%20Design%3B%20Fashion%20Design%20%26amp%3B%20Accessories%3B%20Fashion%20Styling%20%26amp%3B%20Creative%20Direction%3B%20Fashion%20Business%3B%20Foundation%20in%20Fashion%3B%20Foundation%20in%20Design%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EProfessional%20courses%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFashion%20e-Commerce%20%26amp%3B%20Digital%20Marketing%3B%20Fashion%20Entrepreneurship%3B%20Fashion%20Luxury%20Retail%20and%20Visual%20Merchandising%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EShort%20courses%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFashion%20design%3B%20Fashion%20Image%20%26amp%3B%20Styling%3B%20Fashion%20Trend%20Forecasting%3B%20Interior%20Design%3B%20Digital%20Art%20in%20Fashion%3Cbr%3EMore%20information%20is%20at%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.istitutomarangoni.com%2Fen%3Futm_source%3DLocal%26utm_medium%3Dorganic%26utm_campaign%3Dgmb%26utm_content%3Ddubai%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3Ewww.istitutomarangoni.com%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Temple numbers

Expected completion: 2022

Height: 24 meters

Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people

Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people

First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time

First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres  

Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres

Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor 

States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km

On sale: now

Price: Dh149,000

 

ESSENTIALS

The flights 
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
 

The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.