AFP - A senior Israeli official has met with the foreign minister of Oman on the sidelines of a water meeting in Muscat, the Haaretz daily reported on Tuesday.

Yossi Gal, director general of the Israeli foreign ministry, met with Omani Foreign Minister Yusef bin Alawi bin Abdullah on the sidelines of an event at the Middle East Desalination Research Centre (MEDRC), the daily said.

An Israeli diplomat confirmed the visit, but was unable to comment on the alleged meeting.

There was no immediate comment available from Omani officials.

Israel had a trade office in Oman, which was opened in 1996 a few years after the start of the Oslo peace process and closed in October 2000 following the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada.

The Jewish state had opened another trade office in Qatar in 1996, but it was closed in January in protest at the Israel's war in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

MEDRC was established in 1996 by Oman, Israel, Japan, South Korea and the United States and is dedicated to dealing with water issues affecting the region.