A flight took off from Abu Dhabi in the UAE to the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh as part of a "Your Sons Support You Egypt" initiative.

As many as 140 people, mostly Egyptians, boarded the first flight under the initiative on Wednesday, a statement by the Foreign Ministry said.

The idea of the initiative originated from the Egyptian community in the UAE and was sponsored by the Egyptian Embassy there, the statement said.

A club of the Egyptian community in Al Ain exerted utmost efforts in cooperation with EgyptAir office in Abu Dhabi and the tourist office of the embassy to render the initiative successful, it added.