Saudi Arabia and Iraq have announced they would soon reopen a major border crossing for trade after some 27 years of closure.
Saudi Arabia and Iraq have announced they would soon reopen a major border crossing for trade after some 27 years of closure.
The governor of Iraq’s southwestern province of Anbar, Sohaib al-Rawi, along with Saudi officials, toured the Arar border crossing on Monday, saying its reopening would be a “significant move” to boost ties between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, two neighbors that have had strained ties since Kuwait War in 1990 by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
“This is a great start for further future cooperation between Iraq and Saudi Arabia,” said Rawi, adding that Iraqi government had deployed troops to protect the desert route leading to Arar.
Anbar province has been rocked by years of militancy by Daesh Takfiri group. The desert province has been mostly cleared of militants but sporadic attacks remain and the increasing traffic to Arar border crossing after its reopening could make it a major target of attacks.
