Saudi Arabia and Iraq announced the opening of the Jadidah-Arar border crossing - located at the northernmost point of the Kingdom - to become a vital lifeline for the flow of Saudi products and goods to Iraqi markets, and the strengthening of trade and investment relations between the two countries.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi approved the opening of the crossing last week, following a session by the Joint Cooperation Council.
In remarks on Tuesday, the head of the Border Ports Authority, Omar Al-Waeli, said that Wednesday reopening ceremony would see “the entry of 15 Saudi buses carrying medical aid into Iraq.”
He added that the opening of the Arar point was an important milestone in the Saudi-Iraqi relations, as it represents a main gateway for the Gulf States to Iraq.
For his part, Abdulaziz Al-Shammari, the Saudi ambassador to Baghdad, noted that the opening of the Jadidah-Arar crossing would contribute to increasing trade exchange between the two countries and boost qualitative investments on both sides.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said: “Following the completion of construction operations in both sides of the point with Saudi funding, the port would accommodate the largest arena for trade exchange between the two countries, which will increase commercial growth and the flow of high-quality Saudi goods to the Iraqi market.”
The project is located on a total area of 1.6 million square meters, and includes a “logistics zone” that will serve as the economic gateway for the northern part of Saudi Arabia.
The project falls within the initiative to boost economic and trade relations between the Kingdom and Iraq.
In this context, the Joint Coordination Committee revealed that Saudi Arabia was looking forward to raising investments in Iraq to 10 billion riyals (2.6 billion).
