Minister Visits Saudi In First Public Trip By Sitting Cabinet Member

Israel's Tourism Minister Haim Katz has arrived in Saudi Arabia to take part in the UN's World Tourism Organisation conference. Katz's trip marks the first-ever visit to Saudi Arabia by a sitting Israeli cabinet minister and as such could be viewed as a signal that the two sides are moving closer towards a normalisation deal that would change the landscape of Middle Eastern politics and economics.

• Katz's trip comes as an official Saudi delegation visits the West Bank for the first time since 1993 as officials seek to gain Palestinian approval for any normalisation deal.
• Middle East Eye reportsthat the Palestinian Authority wants areas of the West Bank designated as off limits to Palestinians shifted to a lower category of restriction, the opening of a Saudi consulate in Jerusalem, and Israel to resume negotiations on a final status for Palestine with a 'clear timetable.'
• On 22 Sep, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen stated to KAN that "Six or seven nations from Africa and Asia will join the peace deal with the Saudis". Should this come to pass it would open up significant new channels of investment and trade for Israel, which historically has found itself economically isolated in the region.
• PM Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News on his recent visit to NYC that there is “a limited window of opportunity to reach an agreement in the coming months otherwise - the process could take years,” likely referring to the upcoming US presidential election as an obstacle to progress.