Israeli PM reportedly meets Saudi Crown Prince

Tel Aviv: Israeli state-media reported on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embarked on a secret visit to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In a report, the state-owned Kan news said Netanyahu was accompanied by the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, Yossi Cohen, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two met Crown Prince and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is also in Saudi Arabia for a visit.

The meeting took place in the city of Neom in northwestern Saudi Arabia, according to the Kan news report.

The Hebrew-language Haaretz newspaper published aviation tracking data that showed Netanyahu's plane heading back to Israel after about five hours on the ground.

Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump's administration wish that Saudi Arabia would follow the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in normalizing ties with Israel.

Riyadh has declined to form formal ties with Israel, saying the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be discussed first.

However, Riyadh recently announced Israeli airliners could fly over Saudi Arabia to newly available Gulf destinations and to Asia.

The Israeli government is yet to mae an official statement on Netanyahu's visit.