Saudi Arabia denies visas to Israeli delegates at UN event - report

Against the backdrop of reports of diplomatic efforts between Israel and Saudi Arabia and the desire to normalize ties, the reality on the surface seems to be completely different.

An Israeli delegation was invited to participate in a UN tourism event in Saudi Arabia, but Saudi authorities refused to give them visas, according to a report in Bloomberg.

The delegation consisted of residents of the Circassian town of Kafr Kama, who were invited to a special ceremony by the UN after it was included in an exclusive list of tourist destinations. 

Invited to Saudi Arabia, not allowed in

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) invited residents of Kafr Kama and from 22 other countries to a two-day event in the Saudi city of Al-Ula. However, the Israeli delegation wasn't given visas, despite an appeal by UN officials who demanded that Saudi authorities treat each of the organization's member states equally.

The Israeli delegation started to worry when they didn't receive their visas at the beginning of the month.

Israle's Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the UNWTO insisting that the delegation receive the visas. The UNWTO secretary-general reportedly sent a letter to the Saudi Tourism Ministry asking for the visas.

Both the ministry and the UNWTO declined to comment.

Kafr Kama was included on the UNWTO list, the purpose of which is to leverage rural tourism.