Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan is set to make a landmark visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Sunday, becoming the first Saudi top diplomat to do so since the territory was occupied in 1967, a diplomatic source told AFP.
The visit comes as global pressure mounts on Israel over its continued military campaign in Gaza and its ongoing violations of international law through illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank. Israel’s actions have triggered a deepening humanitarian crisis and widespread international condemnation, with the United Nations warning of famine conditions across Gaza.
“A ministerial delegation led by the minister of foreign affairs will go to Ramallah on Sunday,” a Palestinian embassy source confirmed. Prince Faisal will lead talks in Ramallah as part of Riyadh’s broader diplomatic push to advance Palestinian statehood and reaffirm the Kingdom’s longstanding position in support of Palestinian rights.
The visit marks the highest-level Saudi presence in the West Bank since the 1967 occupation. Saudi Arabia had previously sent a lower-level delegation to Ramallah in September 2023, just weeks before the outbreak of Israel’s genocidal attacks on Gaza on Oct. 7.
Prince Faisal’s visit comes just days after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared plans to build a “Jewish Israeli state” in the West Bank, doubling down on Israel’s settlement expansion. On Thursday, the Israeli government announced the establishment of 22 new settlements, widely considered illegal under international law, further entrenching occupation and undermining hopes for a future Palestinian state.
Next month, Saudi Arabia and France are set to co-host an international conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York to revive efforts toward a two-state solution. The gathering is expected to build momentum toward recognizing Palestinian statehood and urging a resolution to the decades-long occupation.
While nearly 150 countries currently recognize the State of Palestine, it remains an observer at the U.N., lacking full membership due to the Security Council’s inaction. In May 2024, Ireland, Norway, and Spain took the historic step of formally recognizing Palestine. France, despite not yet making the move, has hinted it could follow suit.
President Emmanuel Macron stated in April that France may recognize Palestine in June and emphasized the importance of the upcoming New York conference in promoting mutual recognition, both for Palestine and for Israel, from countries that do not yet acknowledge it.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites and the world’s largest oil exporter, had been reportedly nearing a normalization deal with Israel before the war in Gaza erupted. However, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made clear in September that Riyadh would not normalize ties with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
This stance was reaffirmed at a joint Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in November, where member states accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and demanded an immediate end to the occupation and aggression.
Earlier this month, during a visit to Riyadh, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope that Saudi Arabia would eventually normalize relations with Israel. “You’ll do it in your own time, and that’s what I want, that’s what you want,” he told Saudi leaders.
The Saudi foreign minister’s visit is expected to underline the Kingdom’s firm support for Palestinian sovereignty and its rejection of Israel’s continued occupation and settlement activity in violation of international law.
