Mohammad Bin Salman meets rabbis in New York

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman met a group of religious leaders in New York, including two rabbis.

The 32-year-old heir to the throne, currently on a three-week tour of the US, met two Roman Catholic and three Jewish figures on Wednesday, the Saudi embassy in Washington said in a statement.

Prince Mohammad has said he wants to ease the country toward “moderate Islam, open to the world and all religions.”

“The meeting emphasised the common bond among all people, particularly people of faith, which stresses the importance of tolerance, coexistence, and working together for a better future for all of humanity,” the embassy said.

Although Prince Mohammad had recently met Christian figures, it marks the first time he’s announced a meeting with a Jewish religious leader.

While foreigners of other religions can worship privately in Saudi Arabia, there are no public churches, temples or synagogues

Encouraging signs

There are some signs restrictions are softening: Christmas trees were displayed openly in some shops in the capital, Riyadh, for the first time last year.

Prince Mohammad’s meeting included Rabbi Richard Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism; Rabbi Steven Wernick, head of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism; and Allen Fagin, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, the embassy said.

It’s not the first time a Saudi royal has met a rabbi; the late King Abdullah was photographed multiple times with New York-based Rabbi Marc Schneier.

Earlier this month, Prince Mohammad met Coptic Pope Tawadros II at Cairo’s largest Coptic cathedral. The Saudi leader has made promoting moderate Islam one of his main goals.