A joint US-Israel delegation visited Bahrain on Sunday, where officials signed bilateral agreements after an announcement last month of the intention to normalise relations.
El Al Flight 973, named after Bahrain's international dialling code, flew from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport through Saudi Arabian airspace to Manama, landing at Bahrain International Airport on Sunday afternoon.
The delegation was met by Bahrain's Foreign Minister, Abdullatif Al Zayani.
"Today we build on that historic occasion at the White House last month, taking the next steps to implement the declaration in support of peace and the Abraham Accords," Mr Zayani said.
"We do so in the conviction that this approach of engagement and co-operation is the most effective, the most sustainable, means to bring about a genuine and lasting peace, one which safeguards the rights of the Middle East's peoples."
The Israeli delegation was led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and Foreign Ministry director general Alon Ushpiz.
The US team was led by Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin.
The delegation headed to the office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, in Gudaibiyah Palace.
Sheikh Mohammed said Bahrain's approach to peace in the region aimed to boost efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution, international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, the Bahrain News Agency reported.
Mr Ben-Shabbat said before take-off that the visit would “translate plans to actions and concrete agreements”, with deals signed involving finance, investment, trade, tourism, communications, technology and agriculture.
Another Israeli official said the visit represented the official establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which were expected to sign a joint statement establishing full diplomatic relations.
Mr Mnuchin said the opportunities were "quite enormous" for deals in "economic, trade, investment cultural and security between the three countries".
The visit came days after the Knesset overwhelmingly approved the Abraham Accord between Israel and the UAE, and one month after the accord was signed on the White House lawn on September 15.
As part of the deal to normalise relations, the UAE and Bahrain and Israel will eventually establish embassies and exchange ambassadors.
The Israeli official said the Israeli embassy was expected to open in Bahrain in the coming months.
Egypt and Jordan are the only other two Arab states to sign diplomatic treaties with Israel, in 1979 and 1994, respectively.
The Israeli delegation is slated to fly back to Tel Aviv later on Sunday, while the Americans will head to the UAE before flying to Israel on Tuesday.
Last month, the first known commercial flight between the two countries brought a delegation of Israeli officials to Manama to discuss co-operation between Israel and Bahrain after the signing of an agreement to normalise ties.
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The Equaliser 2
Director Antoine Fuqua
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Three stars
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