Saudi Arabia turned down a request from Israel to let its planes bring home Israeli passengers from a flydubai flight that made an emergency landing in the kingdom, two security sources told Reuters on Wednesday. The request was for Israeli military planes to fly in and collect the passengers. The passengers were instead taken home on another flydubai aircraft. Saudi Arabia has not commented publicly on the report.
Background: The Emergency Landing
The flydubai flight in question was FZ107, flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026. Flight tracking data showed it was diverted to Saudi Arabia after sending emergency signals. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the co-pilot stabbed the pilot and tried to crash the plane, but passengers held him down while other pilots landed it safely.
Accounts of the incident are not fully consistent. Some reports describe an attempted hijacking, while others cite a brawl between pilots, and flydubai has announced a suspension of its Israel flights while an investigation is under way. Readers should treat the exact cause as unconfirmed until investigators report.
The diversion mattered because Saudi Arabia and Israel have no diplomatic relations. A landing of an Israel-bound flight in the kingdom therefore raised both safety and political questions. Similar incidents have happened before, which gives some context for how the two sides handle such events.
Details: The Request and the Saudi Response
According to the security sources, Israel asked Saudi Arabia for permission to send military planes to bring its citizens home. One source said the Israeli Air Force was preparing Super Hercules aircraft for the mission. Saudi Arabia declined, and the sources linked this to the lack of diplomatic ties.
The passengers did not stay stranded for long. The airline said they were set to continue their journey on flydubai aircraft, and reports say another flydubai flight picked them up. Passengers arrived at Ben Gurion Airport on September 30, the same day as the incident.
Saudi Arabia’s government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Separately, a senior Saudi official denied reports of a meeting between Saudi and Israeli officials. Israeli media had said Netanyahu met Middle Eastern officials, including a Saudi representative, during a recent visit to the United Arab Emirates.
Earlier Precedent: Air Seychelles in 2023
A similar event took place in August 2023, when an Air Seychelles plane carrying Israelis made an emergency landing in Jeddah on its way to Tel Aviv. Passengers spent the night in an airport hotel, and Israel later sent a charter flight to collect them. Netanyahu thanked the Saudi authorities at the time for their warm attitude.
The 2026 response looks different, since Riyadh refused to let Israeli military aircraft enter. This difference may reflect the military nature of the planes, or a hardening of Saudi caution. The sources did not explain the decision in detail.
Quotes: What Officials Have Said
Netanyahu said passengers helped subdue the co-pilot, and that other pilots then landed the aircraft. His account has been widely reported but not independently confirmed. US President Donald Trump has also commented, suggesting the co-pilot may have been a terrorist, though no investigation has confirmed any motive.
The airline said passengers would continue their trip on its own aircraft. A senior Saudi official denied any meeting with Israeli officials, according to Reuters. These statements show how sensitive the matter is for all sides.
Impact: Why the Flydubai Flight Matters
For travellers, the immediate effect is the suspension of flydubai’s Israel flights, which affects people on the Dubai to Tel Aviv route. Reports so far do not say that flydubai’s flights to Saudi Arabia are affected. Passengers booked on other routes should still check with the airline.
Politically, the episode shows how fragile contact between Saudi Arabia and Israel remains. The two countries cooperate informally on some regional concerns, but Saudi Arabia has not joined the Abraham Accords. A refusal like this signals that Riyadh is keeping a public distance, even in a humanitarian-style situation.
For aviation security, the incident will likely draw scrutiny of cockpit safety and crew screening. Investigators will want to know how an attack on a pilot could happen on a commercial flight. Their findings could affect rules for airlines operating in the region.
Travel Note: Flydubai Saudi Arabia Flights
Many readers also search for flydubai Saudi Arabia ticket prices, schedules and flight time. Fares and timetables change daily, so no single price applies, and the airline’s website or app is the reliable source. Flight time from Dubai to Saudi cities is usually around two to three hours, depending on the destination.
Nothing in the reports reviewed suggests changes to ordinary flydubai routes inside the Gulf. Travellers should check the latest notices before booking, especially while the investigation continues.
Conclusion: What Comes Next
The investigation into the flydubai flight will be the key development. Authorities will examine what happened in the cockpit and whether the incident was an attack, a dispute or something else. The result may decide when flydubai resumes its Israel service.
Politically, Saudi Arabia is unlikely to change its position on Israel in the short term. Any shift would depend on wider regional diplomacy, including the long-running talks about normalisation. For now, the episode ended safely for the passengers, but it left several questions unanswered.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are Israelis allowed in Saudi Arabia?
In general, no. Saudi Arabia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel and does not normally admit Israeli passport holders as tourists or visitors. The kingdom’s tourist e-visa programme covers many nationalities, but Israel is not among them, as far as I could verify. Exceptions have happened in emergencies, such as the 2023 Air Seychelles landing in Jeddah, when Israeli passengers stayed overnight at an airport hotel. This week’s refusal to let Israeli military planes in shows that even humanitarian cases are handled cautiously. Anyone with a specific travel need should check with the Saudi embassy.
Are Saudi Arabians supporting Israel?
The Saudi government does not recognise Israel, and it has not joined the 2020 Abraham Accords. Saudi leaders have repeatedly said that normalisation would require a credible path to a Palestinian state. Public opinion surveys across the Arab world have generally shown strong opposition to normalising ties with Israel, though opinions can vary and shift with events. At the same time, Saudi Arabia and Israel have informal links, mostly tied to shared worries about Iran. So the official position is non-recognition, and it would be wrong to say that Saudis broadly support Israel.
Why is Saudi Arabia against Israel?
Saudi Arabia’s position is based mainly on the Palestinian issue. Under the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which Saudi Arabia proposed, Arab states offered normal relations with Israel in return for a withdrawal from occupied territories and a Palestinian state. The kingdom also holds a religious role as custodian of Islam’s two holiest mosques, and the status of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa is important to its public standing. Domestic opinion is another factor, since leaders weigh how normalisation would be seen at home and across the Muslim world. Saudi officials have said talks are possible if the Palestinian question is addressed, so the stance is a policy condition, not a fixed refusal to ever engage.
Notes for you (not part of the article):
- Sources: the news details come from Reuters via Tribune, US News and KFGO, and the Times of Israel. The 2023 precedent comes from Al Jazeera and AP. The incident description is attributed to Netanyahu, since other reports describe it differently. Please keep that attribution.
- Sensitive topic: the cause of the incident is still under investigation, so I avoided stating any motive as fact.
- Travel section: I did not give ticket prices or exact schedules, because I could not verify them. The flight time is a rough range. Please check flydubai’s website before publishing specifics.
- FAQ on Israeli visitors: this is based on general knowledge of Saudi visa rules. Please verify against the Saudi visa portal.
- Keywords: “flydubai flight” is the focus keyword, and your ticket price, schedule and flight time keywords appear in the travel section.
- Originality: the article is in fresh wording, not copied from Reuters or Tribune.
- Citations: if the citation markers do not copy into your CMS, remove them before pasting.
