Saudi Arabia to allow Israel flights over airspace, direct flights for Israeli Muslim Hajj pilgrims: report

Saudi Arabia is set to announce this week that it will allow all commercial flights to and from Israel to use its airspace, according to reports Wednesday.

Riyadh will also allow Israel's Muslim minority to take charter flights directly to Saudi Arabia so that they can participate in Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, CNN reported Wednesday citing people familiar with the matter.

Reports of the announcement come as US President Joe Biden tours the Middle East, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, for whom he is pushing for better ties.

As part of the visit, Biden will fly directly to Saudi Arabia from Israel - a moment that he called a "small symbol of the budding relations" between the two countries, CNN reported.

Israel's regional cooperation minister said last week that he had asked Saudi Arabia to admit direct flights from Tel Aviv for Muslim pilgrims

Israeli officials have also been seeking expanded permission for their airlines to fly over Saudi territory to Asian destinations.