DUBAI: Iran and Saudi Arabia will start formal talks next week to resume direct scheduled flights between Tehran and Riyadh and other cities, an Iranian official told the state-affiliated news agency ILNA on Sunday.

Regular flights would be another step towards restoring ties between the two Middle Eastern rivals. A Chinese-mediated agreement in March restored diplomatic relations after years of tension that threatened the security of the entire region and fuelled conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

“There are no restrictions regarding the launch of direct flights from Tehran to Riyadh, or other cities,” Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Mohammadibakhsh said, according to ILNA.

“A bilateral working group will start final negotiations next week to have non-Haj flights between the two countries,” he said, referring to the annual Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.