Speculation over Saudi Arabia, Israel normalising ties

Following a visit of a senior Israeli official to Saudi Arabia, speculation about the readiness to announce the normalisation of ties between the two sides has been increasing, Israeli media reported on Saturday.

This came following a report by Israel’s Channel 12 broadcast on Friday revealing a recent visit of a senior Israeli official to Riyadh.

According to The Times of Israel, the Israeli official received a warm reception. The sides discussed regional security interests that have further aligned in recent years over common threats posed by Iran.

Yedioth Ahronoth also reported meetings between figures from both sides, without providing further details.

The reported meeting came as the US has pushed for cooperation between its allies in the region and preparing for US President Joe Biden to visit the Middle East.

According to The Times of Israel, senior US officials travelled to Saudi Arabia earlier this week, reportedly to finalise an agreement on transferring the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir from Egypt to Saudi Arabia.

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