Saudi Arabia denied that Saudi Trade Minister Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi met with his Israeli counterpart, Nir Barkat, in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

This denial comes after the Israeli Ministry of Economy said that Barakat met Al-Qasabi and told him that they could “make history together.”

SPA reported that Al-Qasabi was speaking with the Nigerian Minister of Commerce when Barakat came forward and introduced himself to Al-Qasabi “without prior knowledge of the person’s identity.”

A video clip circulating on social media platforms shows Barakat shaking hands with Al-Qasabi.

The officials are in Abu Dhabi to attend a ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization.

Both Israel and Saudi Arabia have expressed their desire to normalize relations, but Riyadh requires that the Palestinians obtain a clear path leading to the establishment of a state, to normalize relations with Israel, at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows his rejection of the idea of ​​establishing a Palestinian state.