Report: Israel Sold Spy Technologies to Saudi Arabia

Israel and Saudi Arabia made a clandestine deal for $250-million of espionage technologies, among the most advanced Israel has ever sold to an Arab country, according to the United Arab Emirate news website Al-Khaleej on Sunday.

The spy systems have already been delivered to Saudi Arabia, after Israel provided Saudi personnel in training in their operation.

The report also said the two countries exchanged sensitive military information during a series of meetings which were conducted in Washington and London with a European mediator.

In September, Al-Khaleej reported that Saudi Arabia had purchased Iron Dome missile defense batteries in response to Houthi missile attacks.

Israel has no formal ties with the kingdom, but unofficial contacts have been reported over the past several years, and there have been indications that the two countries were drawing closer, chiefly due to a shared fear of Iranian expanisionism.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot met with his counterparts from several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia’s Chief of Staff Gen. Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, in mid-October while in Washington for the Countering Violent Extremist Organizations Conference for military commanders.