US officials: 1st Israel-UAE commercial flight next week

U.S. officials anunced Tuesday that first commercial flight between Israel and United Arab Emirates is scheduled for next week, carrying American and Israeli delegations to Abu Dhabi after two countries agreed to rmalize relations.

flight, likely on an Israeli El-Al airliner, would carry a U.S. delegation headed by President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and national security adviser Robert O'Brien, officials said.

y said Israeli delegation would be made up of experts in fields of aviation, , health and banking. officials were t authorized to discuss matter publicly and spoke on condition of anymity.

It will be first kwn direct flight by Israel's state airline to a Gulf Arab country and an important sign of progress in implementing Aug. 13 agreement by Israel and UAE to establish official relations.

flight also would indicate Saudi support for deal. Saudis have voiced lukewarm support and until w have t said wher y would allow two countries to use its air for direct flights.

Without Saudi acquiescence, flights would likely have to take a roundabout and potentially risky route around Yemen and through Persian Gulf.

UAE is just third Arab country to agree to official relations with Israel, after Egypt and Jordan.

Israeli and American officials have expressed hope that or Gulf Arab countries will soon follow suit, with relations based on mutual commercial and security interests, and ir shared enmity toward Iran.