After Saudi Arabia, Bahrain Becomes Next Arab Gulf Nation to Welcome Israeli Planes

Bahrain on Thursday announced it will allow all Israeli flights to the United Arab Emirates to cross through its airspace, a day after Saudi Arabia made a similar declaration.

As was the case with the Saudi announcement, Bahrain’s Transportation Ministry avoided naming Israel specifically, and instead said its skies would be open to all flights to the UAE, its state news agency said.

“Bahrain will allow all flights coming to and departing from the United Arab Emirates to all countries to cross its airspace,” the report said.

The move could cut flying time by about 20 minutes, Axios reported, as a result of a decades-old agreement in which Bahrain controls much of Qatar’s airspace.

The use of Saudi airspace, on the other hand, shaves flight time from Tel Aviv by about four hours.

The announcements by both Gulf kingdoms come in the wake of the first ever commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi following a U.S.-brokered normalization deal between the two countries.

The Saudi decision was the result of a joint request by the UAE and the U.S., coordinated by White House Special Adviser Jared Kushner.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the new Saudi policy as a “huge breakthrough” that will boost Israeli air travel and reduce airfares. He said:

These are the benefits of a peace that is genuine. I want to thank Jared Kushner and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed for today’s important contribution.

Now there is another tremendous breakthrough: Israeli planes and those from all countries will be able to fly directly from Israel to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and back.

Flights will be cheaper and shorter, and it will lead to robust tourism and develop our economy.

The move “will open up the East,” Netanyahu continued.

“When you fly to Thailand or anywhere else in Asia, it will save time and money. This is amazing news for you, the citizens of Israel. These are the benefits of a peace that is genuine,” he said, adding there is “a great deal more good news to come.”

Both Netanyahu and Kushner have repeatedly said more peace deals with Arab states are in the offing. Oman and Bahrain are touted as the next Arab nations likely to normalize ties with Israel.

However, Saudi Arabia has expressed its position it will not seek normalization with Israel before a peace deal with the Palestinians was struck.