Saudi denies alleged meeting with Israeli official

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia denied reports suggesting a meeting between its Minister of Commerce Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi and an Israeli official. The Kingdom's state news agency (SPA) quoted an unnamed Saudi official dismissing the claims, stating that the Israeli minister introduced himself to Al-Qasabi while standing with his Nigerian counterpart at the opening of the 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Abu Dhabi. The Saudi official emphasized that Al-Qasabi had no prior knowledge of the individual who approached him.

The unnamed official reiterated Saudi Arabia’s unwavering stance on the Palestinian issue, affirming the kingdom's steadfast support for the Palestinian people against Israeli aggression. This statement comes amidst Israeli media reports, including from public broadcaster KAN, which alleged that Israel’s Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat had met with Al-Qasabi on the sidelines of the WTO session.

Israel does not maintain diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia.

Israeli media reports have further claimed that the two officials discussed peace between Saudi Arabia and Israel, with one outlet even featuring a picture of the supposed meeting under the heading: “Israeli minister and Saudi counterpart shake hands and discuss ‘making history together”

The denial statement from Saudi Arabia comes amidst ongoing speculation regarding potential diplomatic developments in the region.