Exclusive: Senior Israel Hayom journalist Yoav Limor visits Saudi Arabia and is pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome and friendly atmosphere.
By Yoav Limor, ISRAEL HAYOM

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is seen before the Formula One race in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 5, 2021 | File photo: Reuters/Andrej Isakovic
On Sunday night, while in a restaurant in Riyadh, a local young man sitting next to me asked me from where I was. “Israel,” I replied. He laughed, and moved on. Shortly before leaving, he looked at me again and asked, “Israel, really?” I said “yes,” to which he replied, “Wow, welcome. We welcome everyone here happily, from all religions.”
Saudi Arabia was a pleasant surprise. Friendly. Happy. Not even mentioning Israel brought anyone down. I tested this on several cab drivers and market vendors. Some smiled and shook their head in disbelief or worry, others were curious and struck up a conversation. I wondered if any of them had ever met an Israeli before, or heard Hebrew, but no one made us feel unwelcome in the kingdom, home to the holiest sites of Islam, not even for a moment.
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