Saudi Arabia committed to 'fair solution' for Palestinians, King Salman tells Trump

Saudi Arabia's King Salman has told US President Donald Trump his kingdom is committed to achieving a "just peace" for Palestinians, following the UAE's controversial normalisation deal with Israel.

The two leaders spoke by phone about the spread of Covid-19 and Riyadh's G20 presidency, the kingdom's official news agency reported on Monday.

During the conversation, the king also told the US president that the kingdom was committed to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which demands the establishment of a Palestinian state in return for normalised relations with Israel.

"[King Salman expressed the] kingdom's appreciation for the efforts made by the United States of America to establish peace, affirming the Kingdom's keenness to reach a lasting and just solution to the Palestinian cause to bring peace, which is the main starting point for the Kingdom's efforts and the Arab Peace Initiative," Saudi News Agency reported.

The comments follow a normalisation announced last month between Saudi Arabia's closest regional ally, the UAE, and Israel, with rumours that Riyadh might follow suit.

The normalisation deal culminated last Monday with the first ever commercial flight between the two countries, which passed through Saudi airspace despite the kingdom not recognising Israel.

Riyadh has said it will allow all flights to and from the UAE to use its airspace, indicating that commercial flights with Israel will be allowed to fly over the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia’s de-facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has also said that Israelis deserve their own land, indicating that the kingdom could recognise the country.

Saudi Arabia's hosting of Islam's two holiest sites, Mecca and Medina, have made the issue of normalisation with Israel a more sensitive issue than with other Arab states.

Qatar, one of Saudi Arabia's regional rivals, has also told the US that it is committed to the 2002 Arab Peace Inititative, which demands a "two state solution" to the Palestine-Israel issue.