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.
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.”
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.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
