Saudi Arabia says Israel is "potential ally"

 Mohammad Bin Salman

04 March 2022; MEMO: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman yesterday said that the kingdom was viewing Israel as a "potential ally."

"We don't look at Israel as an enemy, we look to them as a potential ally, with many interests that we can pursue together. But we have to solve some issues before we get to that," Bin Salman told The Atlantic.

Asked about the possibility of the kingdom following the United Arab Emirates' steps in establishing relations with Israel, Bin Salman stressed that each country had its "own freedom to do whatever it sees fit to its government and people."

In 2020, the UAE was the first Gulf state to normalize relations with Israel under a US-brokered agreement, dubbed the "Abraham Accords." Bahrain followed suit a couple of weeks later.