Saudi Arabia denies meeting with Israeli officials in Abu Dhabi

Saudi Arabia has denied reports that its officials participated in an expanded meeting in Abu Dhabi following discussions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Israeli media outlets had previously reported that Saudi representatives joined talks concerning regional security cooperation, Iran, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and regional defense systems. However, a Saudi official told AFP, “Neither official meetings, nor talks, nothing. Our position regarding Israel has not changed.”

While the United Arab Emirates maintains formal diplomatic ties with Israel through the 2020 Abraham Accords, Saudi Arabia has not normalized relations. Riyadh has maintained that any such normalization is contingent upon the establishment of a Palestinian state. Although talks regarding normalization began in 2023, the process was suspended following the outbreak of the war in Gaza.