Saudi Arabia on Tuesday denied reports that a Saudi representative met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he held talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
A senior Saudi official rejected reports of a meeting between Saudi and Israeli officials, Reuters reported Wednesday. The denial followed an Israeli media report saying Netanyahu had met Middle Eastern officials, including a Saudi representative, during his Abu Dhabi visit.
Israeli news site Ynet later issued a correction, saying it could not confirm that such a meeting had taken place, Reuters reported.
A Saudi source told Arab News that there was “no truth to the reports circulating about the presence of a Saudi representative at the meeting.”
Netanyahu visited Abu Dhabi on Sunday at the invitation of Sheikh Mohammed. The UAE’s state news agency, WAM, said the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them. Three senior Israeli officials told Reuters that their meeting lasted six hours and focused on Iran.
Jordan also denied reports that it had been represented at the alleged wider meeting, Reuters reported.
Saudi Arabia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations. Riyadh has previously linked any normalisation of ties with Israel to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
