Flydubai Emergency Landing in Saudi Arabia Highlights Travel Routes for Israelis
A flydubai emergency landing in Saudi Arabia highlights Israeli travel to the kingdom, while Muslim citizens of Israel have quietly made the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina for years via Jordan.
A rare emergency landing of a flydubai flight in Saudi Arabia has turned attention to Israeli travel to the kingdom, though Muslim citizens of Israel have traveled to Mecca and Medina for years via alternative routes.
The Emergency Landing in Saudi Arabia
The issue emerged following an unusual incident aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft, carrying about 180 passengers—many of them Israelis—squawked emergency signals and diverted to land at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. The plane landed safely and all passengers are accounted for, though suspicions are growing that the incident may involve nationalist or terrorist motives.
The unexpected incident placed a plane carrying Israelis on the soil of Saudi Arabia—a country with which Israel has no formal diplomatic relations. However, for Israeli Muslims seeking to reach the kingdom's holy sites, alternative travel routes have long been utilized for pilgrimage.
From Israel to Mecca: The Overland Bus Route
The cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia are considered holy to Muslims worldwide. According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca, and Medina is home to the Prophet's Mosque. Medina has a population of about 1.5 million and Mecca around 2.4 million.
During the Eid al-Adha holiday, many Muslims traditionally make a pilgrimage to these holy cities to pray and visit sacred sites. Mecca houses the Kaaba, around which pilgrims circumambulate. Among them are Muslims residing in Israel, which lacks normalization agreements or peace treaties with Saudi Arabia.
"People travel there during Eid al-Adha," Said, a 38-year-old resident of the Negev locality of Abu Tulul, told Maariv. "Many go there, and I have been to Mecca myself."
Said, a married father of three, undertook the pilgrimage without his children. According to him, one of the accepted ways to reach Mecca is by bus through Jordan. "It is a really good trip. There are spacious buses and people travel there via Jordan," he recounted.
He noted that independent travelers can cross into Jordan and continue via recognized transport services toward Mecca. There is also the option of flying via Jordan or through other Middle Eastern nations accessible to Israelis.
"From Jordan, you can either fly there or travel from other Middle Eastern countries that Israelis can enter," Said said. "And from other countries too. But the majority board and come by buses."
