Iraq-Saudi Arabia Border To Open For First Time In 27 Years
Reuters reports that Saudi Arabia and Iraq plan to open the Arar border crossing since its closure in 1990 and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
For the past 27 years the border has been closed aside from once annually for the Hajj pilgrimage.
This move is the latest indication of developing alliances between the gulf and Iraq, and follows the decision on Monday by the Saudi government to establish a joint trade deal with Iraq.
Influential Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr also made a tour of Saudi Arabia and the UAE earlier this month, resulting in a $10 million deal with Sadr to open a consulate in Najaf and support investments in Shia areas of southern Iraq.