Amid reports of ties alowly being established between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a Jewish prayer was held in the kingdom by a visiting Israeli minister.

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi has been in Saudi Arabia with a delegation since Monday to participate in Universal Postal Union’s 2023 Extraordinary Congress.

Photos released by Karhi’s office showed a Sukkot prayer being held in his hotel room along with a scroll of the Torah which was provided by a ‘local jew’.

The prayer’s participants were also holding an etrog as well as palm, myrtle and willow branches.

Reports said that the prayer was dedicated to ‘King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman and their advisers’.

Karhi later said in a statement that he had prayed with an open window facing Jerusalem.

Karhi is the second top Israeli official after Tourism Minister Haim Katz to visit Saudi Arabia as reports grow that the two countries could establish diplomatic ties for the first time in their history. The engagements are increasing as United States Preisdent Joe Biden continues to push for normalisation of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.