In a first, Israeli minister arrives in Saudi Arabia as envoy visits West Bank

Rina Bassist

Sep 26, 2023

Israeli activists with the Peace Now movement chant slogans while holding placards and flags of Arab states that are willing to conduct peaceful relations with the state of Israel, during a demonstration calling on the government to respond positively to the Saudi Initiative outside Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's residence in Jerusalem, March 28, 2007. — GALI TIBBON/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz left for Riyadh Tuesday as the first Israeli minister to head an official delegation to Saudi Arabia, where he will take part in a conference of the United Nations Tourism Organization.

A statement issued by the Tourism Ministry said that during the two-day conference marking International Tourism Day, Katz will participate in several events and meetings with his international counterparts, particularly those from the Middle East.

The statement quoted Katz as saying, "Tourism is a bridge between nations. Partnership in tourism issues has the potential to bring hearts together and foster economic prosperity. I will work to create collaborations to promote tourism and Israel’s foreign relations.”

Israel was one of the founding members of the UN tourism body in 1975. Over the years, it has played an active role in the agency. Israel's Circassian village of Kfar Kama was included in the organization's "Best Tourism Villages 2022." It was one of 32 villages around the globe selected by the UN World Tourism Organization to promote tourism and safeguard rural communities and their landscapes.