Israeli Tourism Minister Haïm Katz arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, becoming the first Israeli minister to visit the country publicly, his office announced.
“Mr Katz is the first Israeli minister to lead an official delegation to Saudi Arabia,” the Tourism Ministry announced in a statement, adding that he would be attending a World Tourism Organisation meeting in Riyadh.
“Tourism is a bridge between nations,” Katz was quoted by his office as saying. “Cooperation in the field of tourism has the potential to bring hearts together, and economic progress.”
The landmark visit comes as Riyadh sent its first delegation to the occupied West Bank in three decades.
Nayef al-Sudairi, who was appointed non-resident ambassador to the Palestinian territories last month, held talks on Tuesday with senior Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, French news agency AFP reported.
The United States has been leading talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia on a normalization of ties between the two countries.
