Aisha Fareed

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s position on the Palestinian cause will not change after the Kingdom gave permission for all flights between the UAE and other countries to travel through Saudi airspace, the foreign minister said on Wednesday.

The altered flight policy followed a request from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority to the Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation.

“The Kingdom’s firm position toward the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people will not change by allowing flights to and from the UAE to pass through Saudi airspace,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan said. “The Kingdom appreciates all efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative.”

Saudi political analyst Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri told Arab News the Kingdom knew how to separate the two issues. “Yes, we allowed the flights, but that doesn’t mean we let go of our original causes,” he said.

“The language of those with established positions is flexibility, which does not mean waiving rights or just and fair initiatives. Our stance in these cases is crystal clear and will not change.”

The UAE and Israel normalized ties in an agreement last month.

A joint Israeli-US delegation traveled from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi on Monday and returned on Tuesday.