The recent visit of a delegation of Saudi notables to Israel has raised hopes that the two countries might establish diplomatic relations in the foreseeable future. Likely or not, such a development would presumably give Jews access to historic sites in the Arabian peninsula, once home to a Jewish population predating the time of Muhammad. Jessica Steinberg writes:
[I]n the 6th and 7th centuries, there was a considerable Jewish population in Hejaz, mostly around [the cities of] Medina, Khaybar, and Tayma. . . .
The medieval Jewish traveler Benjamin of Tudela, during an 1165 to 1173 trek, [reported visiting thriving] Jewish communities in [what is now] Saudi Arabia. . . .
[T]he Khaybar Fortress, perched on a hill overlooking the oasis, is at least 1,400 years old. . . . It was Mohammed’s nephew and son-in-law, Ali, who was able to unlock the gate of the fortress to allow the Muslim armies to . . . conquer it. It was rebuilt and reused several times, but is still usually referred to it as the “Fortress of the Jews.”
Read more on Times of Israel: http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-saudi-arabia-jewish-sites-with-ancient-resonance-beckon/