Saudi Arabia, Jordan Deny Meeting Netanyahu in UAE

Saudi Arabia and Jordan on Wednesday denied reports that officials from their countries attended a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates. Both nations dismissed the claims as baseless. Jordan's official Al-Mamlaka TV, citing a Jordanian source, called the Israeli media reports "utter falsehoods" and suggested they were promoted for "electoral purposes" and to alleviate Netanyahu's "international isolation" following UN meetings.

A senior Saudi official also told Reuters that reports of a meeting between Saudi and Israeli officials were incorrect. These denials came after Israeli media, including Channel 14, alleged that Netanyahu's meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi included a second phase with representatives from the US, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain, Libya, and Oman, bringing the total number of participating countries to ten.

According to the Israeli report, citing an unnamed Emirati source, the meeting discussed enhancing security and intelligence cooperation between Israel and the UAE, forming a regional framework to counter "shared threats," and developing a plan to confront Iran and the Houthis. The plan reportedly included providing intelligence and security support to Saudi Arabia and exploring the possibility of a regional alliance and an oil transport route away from the Strait of Hormuz.

None of the named countries have confirmed their participation. The UAE's official WAM news agency reported that President bin Zayed received Netanyahu to discuss bilateral relations, while Netanyahu's office stated the visit focused on strengthening ties and regional challenges with senior Israeli security and political officials.

The visit occurred amid ongoing controversy over reports that Netanyahu received a warning from the UAE prior to the October 7th Hamas attack. The New York Times reported that Netanyahu was secretly warned by the UAE president about a potential Hamas attack but did not relay it to security chiefs, a claim Netanyahu's office called "absolute lies." The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it does not comment on reports or speculation regarding discussions between leaders.