Israeli-US delegation flies to UAE

JERUSALEM - An Israeli delegation, joined by senior US officials, departed from Tel Aviv on Monday to Abu Dhabi in Israel's first commercial flight to the United Arab Emirates.

Flight LY971, a direct flight operated by Israel's national airline carrier El Al, departed at around 10:30 (0730 GMT).

The two-day visit will include working meetings of the joint teams ahead of the signing of cooperation deals following the US-brokered agreement to normalize ties between Israel and UAE, which was announced on Aug 13.

A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office ahead of the departure said the meetings will focus on issues related to "the civil and economic spheres."

The visit will also include a trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi between the heads of the delegations: Israel's chief of National Security Council Meir Ben Shabbat, US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien and Senior US Presidential Advisor Jared Kushner, and UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The discussions will be held in working groups composed of Israeli, Emirati and US representatives in the areas of diplomacy, finances, aviation and entry visas, health, culture and tourism, space, science and investments, innovation and trade, according to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office.

"Our goal is to achieve a joint work plan to promote the relationship in a very wide range of areas," head of the Israeli delegation Meir Ben Shabbat said in a statement ahead of the departure.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his country holds secrets talks with "many more" Arab states on normalizing relations. "There are many more unpublicized meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders," Netanyahu said during joint remarks in Jerusalem alongside Kushner and O'Brien.