Saudi Foreign Minister: Bilateral deals with US "not dependent" on Israel ties

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, stated on Thursday that certain bilateral agreements the kingdom is negotiating with the United States are “not that tied” to normalizing relations with Israel and are progressing independently.

Speaking at an investment conference in Riyadh, Prince Faisal noted that agreements related to trade and artificial intelligence are “not tied to any third parties” and could “progress probably quite quickly.”

However, he acknowledged that some defense cooperation deals remain more complex. “We would certainly welcome an opportunity to finish them before the end of the Biden administration’s term, but that's reliant on other factors outside of our control,” he said.

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are also exploring agreements on nuclear energy, security, and defense, which were initially part of a broader normalization package involving Israel.

Biden’s administration had previously proposed, in three-way talks held before October 7, that Saudi Arabia could receive U.S. security guarantees and nuclear cooperation in return for recognizing Israel.

On Thursday, Prince Faisal reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's stance, stating the kingdom will not recognize Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state. “We’re quite happy to wait until the situation is amenable,” he added, signaling Saudi Arabia's continued commitment to the Palestinian cause before advancing any normalization efforts.

* Ynet contributed to this article.