RIYADH -- Riyadh has received nothing official from Washington about the U.S. listing of Saudi businessman Wael Hamza Julaidan as an associate of Osama bin Laden and a financier of terrorism, a minister said Sunday.

"We have received nothing official on this issue," Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf told ***Okaz ***newspaper.

The United States added Julaidan's name to the groups and individuals allegedly assisting the Al-Qaeda network and announced that Saudi Arabia had cooperated and itself forwarded his name to the United Nations to be added to the blacklist.

The Treasury Department said Friday that the United States and Saudi Arabia had jointly designated Julaidan a cohort of Bin Laden and a supporter of Al-Qaeda terror.

Julaidan told ***Arab News ***he was "contacting a group of experts to take further steps to confront the U.S. action." He also wanted to confirm if his name had been supplied by the Saudi government, the daily said.

Julaidan, who is believed to be in Jeddah, has run the Rabita Trust, an Islamic charity and a major political and fund-raising body based in Mecca, since February 2000.

Sources at the league said Julaidan had cut his ties with Bin Laden several years ago, long before the September 11 attacks, AFP reported.

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz on Saturday demanded evidence from the United States.

"We (the government) heard what you heard. This issue concerns us. We began contacts" with the Americans, Prince Nayef told the official SPA agency.

"Those who say this (about Julaidan) should provide the evidence. They have to convince us. We do not accept that a Saudi citizen did any action against his religion and country, but we depend on facts," he said.

Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Nawaf bin Abdul Aziz also voiced "surprise" after the United States froze Julaidan's assets.