A Saudi envoy on a rare visit to the occupied West Bank pledged Tuesday that the Palestinian cause will be "a cornerstone" of any normalization deal the oil-rich kingdom may strike with Tel Aviv.

The delegation headed by Nayef al-Sudairi was Saudi Arabia's first in three decades to the Occupied West Bank, through which he aims to reassure Palestinians that Riyadh stands by their side.

"The Palestinian matter is a fundamental pillar," Sudairi told journalists after meeting top Palestinian diplomat Riyad al-Maliki in Ramallah.

"And it's certain that the Arab initiative, which was presented by the kingdom in 2002, is a cornerstone of any upcoming deal."

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas (87) last week stressed strong reservations to Arab countries building ties with Tel Aviv.

"Those who think that peace can prevail in the Middle East without the Palestinian people enjoying their full, legitimate national rights would be mistaken," Abbas told the UN General Assembly in New York.