Saudi Arabia refused to give visas to an Israeli delegation invited to participate in a United Nations tourism event in the Saudi city of Al-Ula, Bloomberg first reported. The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) included groups from 22 other countries. The delegation was made up of residents of the Circassian town of Kafr Kama, which late last year was included on the UN list of best villages for tourism. Kafr Kama is home to the Circassian Heritage Center, a museum housed in a building that dates back to the late 19th century and holds many artifacts related to the history and culture of the Circassian people. The people there preserve their Circassian heritage and culture by continuing to speak Adyghe, the Circassian language; cooking Circassian foods; performing traditional dances, wearing traditional clothing, marrying other Circassians, and cooking Circassian foods.
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The Israeli delegation wasn’t given visas, despite UN officials’ demand that Saudi authorities treat each of the organization’s member states equally. Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have official diplomatic relations, though the two counties reportedly are in negotiations to normalize ties.