There are no diplomatic relations between the countries.

When the Israeli flag was displayed at the Opening Ceremony of the IWF World Championships last Sunday (September 3), "it was a huge thing for us," said Oren Shai, President of the Israel Weightlifting Federation.

There followed eight days of tense waiting while sports officials, diplomats and security services from both countries finalised the travel arrangements, before Israel's team of four athletes and two coaches landed in Riyadh yesterday night.

The four are all due to lift in the second week of the World Championships.

Celia Gold and Nikol Rubanovich will compete in the women's 71 kilograms C Group tomorrow evening, Artur Mugurdumov in the men's 102kg C Group on Wednesday (August 13) night and David Litvinov in the super-heavyweight C Group on Sunday (September 17) morning, the last day of competition.

Gold has the best chance of the four to qualify for Paris 2024. 

She would have been on the podium at the European Championships in Armenia in April but for missing her final attempt, and needs to put 10kg or more on her best total to move up to the top 10.

"It's really a great honour for us to have this opportunity," Litvinov told the Israeli state broadcaster KAN before departure.

"Ultimately, it's a victory over politics."

The Israeli Weightlifting Federation chief executive Pavel Kolosovski said the host nation had been very co-operative in making sure the team arrived safely. 

"It's a very important day for us and we also intend to make history during the competition," he said.

IWF President Mohammed Jalood said, "This shows that the weightlifting family is a strong, united family. Sport is outside politics."

The same view was expressed by the Saudi Arabia Weightlifting Federation chief Mohamed Alharbi, who said, "At the World Championships, everyone is welcome."

Shai said, "Three years ago, when Saudi Arabia first put themselves forward to host these Championships, I contacted Jalood and said we wanted to be there.

"He said don’t worry, you will be."

After the IWF World Youth Championships were hosted by the Saudis in Jeddah two years ago, Riyadh was confirmed as host for these Championships in December 2021.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), Israel’s National Olympic Committee and the IWF were involved in making the visit happen, as were diplomatic and security services, Shai said.

At one point, the Israelis were told they could travel without visas, with co-operation from the airline, but visas were issued a few days ago.

There are no direct flights between Israel and Saudi Arabia. 

"It has been an effort but it has succeeded, all is good," said Shai.

"Our athletes are there to compete in Olympic qualifying and we’re trying not to over-expose the visit, to make too much of a buzz around it in case it affects possible visits by other delegations in future."

Israel will send a team to Qatar, another nation with which it has no diplomatic relations, for the IWF Grand Prix II in December, although it has sent sports teams there before.

It sent an esports team to the FIFAe World Cup in Saudi Arabia earlier this year but has never competed there in any Olympic sport.

Efforts are being made, with the United States involved, to establish diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Away from sport, Israel has sent "observers" to a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) world heritage meeting in Riyadh that began yesterday.

It is not a bilateral visit but is the first time a business delegation from Israel has visited Saudi Arabia.

The Saudis' attitude to Israel in the sports world is in stark contrast to Iran, which does not recognise the legitimacy of Israel as a nation.

Last month, Mostafa Rajaei, a 36-year-old masters lifter from Iran who shook hands with an Israeli after both men won medals at the Masters World Championships in Poland, was banned for life and the Iran Weightlifting Federation was made to publicly apologise for his actions.

"The positions of the federation are aligned with the positions of the holy establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran," a statement from the Iran Weightlifting Federation said.

Rajaei, a former national team lifter who competed at the Asian Championships, is forbidden to enter "all sporting facilities" in his country.

Iranian athletes in other sports have been made to withdraw from competitions to avoid competing against Israelis.