Israeli delegation makes first open visit to Saudi Arabia

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – AFP

An Israeli delegation is in Riyadh for a UNESCO meeting, an Israeli official told AFP on Monday, marking the country’s first publicly announced visit to Saudi Arabia.

The visit, for UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee session, coincides with speculation about a potential normalisation of ties between the two countries in future.

“We are happy to be here — it’s a good first step,” an Israeli official who did not want to be named, given the sensitivities of the visit, told AFP during the meeting.

“We thank UNESCO and the Saudi authorities.”

The five-member delegation travelled through Dubai, the official said, as there are no direct flights between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

They received their visas via UNESCO, the United Nations’ educational, scientific and cultural organisation, and arrived on Sunday.

The delegation, including a security official, joined the UNESCO meeting on Monday, sitting behind a sign that said “Israel” on the front of their desk.

The visit has been “very good — they treat us very well”, the official said.

Saudi Arabia does not recognise Israel and did not join the 2020 US-brokered Abraham Accords that saw Israel establish ties with two of the kingdom’s neighbours, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.