UPDATE - 1st Saudi envoy to Palestine arrives in West Bank

UPDATES WITH DETAILS, EDITS THROUGH

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Saudi Arabia’s first ambassador to Palestine arrived in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday on an official visit.

Saudi Arabia “is working for the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Nayef bin Bandar al-Sudairi told reporters following his meeting with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.

Al-Sudairi said he will present a copy of his credentials to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Saudi diplomat arrived in the West Bank via the al-Karama border crossing, traveling from Jordan on a two-day visit.

Al-Sudairi is scheduled to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh during his visit.

On Monday, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry confirmed that al-Sudairi will visit Ramallah on Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Aug. 13, the official Saudi Press Agency reported that al-Sudairi, who is also the Saudi ambassador to Jordan, “formally presented a copy of his credentials as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Non-Resident Ambassador to the State of Palestine and Consul General in Jerusalem.”

Al-Sudairi is the first Saudi ambassador to Palestine. The kingdom had a Consulate General in Jerusalem, but it was closed with Israel’s occupation of the city in 1967, when the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was under Jordanian administration at the time.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat and Ahmed Asmar in Ankara