Largest Saudi trade delegation to Baghdad in 12 years; Iraq re-opens Ar'ar border crossing
Iraq-Saudi Arabia, Politics, 11/1/2002

The Iraqi authorities yesterday re-opened the border Ar'ar crossing with Saudi Arabia to permit the passage of persons and commodities for the first time since its closure during the Gulf crisis in 1990.

Eye witnesses said that some 100 Saudi trade officials and businessmen crossed the borders into Iraq upon opening the border point in order to attend a trade exhibition in Baghdad that lasts for ten days as from today.

This is the largest Saudi delegation to visit Baghdad since severing relations between the two states following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait since 12 years.

The delegation is led by Abdul Rahman al-Zamel, of the board of the Saudi center for exports promotion ( Saudi export development center ), who is also a member in the Saudi Shoura council. Iraqi trade sources said that 43 of major Saudi companies are intending to take part in Baghdad's trade exhibition.

Ar'ar border crossing permits the transport of Saudi exports directly to Iraq instead of passing a third country as used to happen before.

In October 2000 Saudi Arabia called for opening the crossing which is 340 Km southern west to Baghdad, but the Iraqi authorities only approved this step in June this year.

Until five years ago no trade relations were between the two states but it is expected that trade exchange volume will reach 1 billion dollars this year.

Ar'ar is the fifth Iraqi border crossing through which humanitarian goods are permitted to pass in the framework of the "oil for food" program. The other four border crossings are open with Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Um al-Qaser on the Gulf.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Watan: First Saudi trade delegation to pass through Ar'ar crossing on Thursday   (10/29/2002)
  Ar'ar border between Iraq, Saudi Arabia opens Wednesday   (10/28/2002)
  Iraqi trade minister Ar'ar crossing to open in few days   (10/26/2002)
  Saud al-Faisal rules out a war against Iraq: Israel poisons the Arab public opinion against the US   (10/24/2002)
  Al-Watan: Iraq relations with Saudi Arabia are good   (9/14/2002)
  Al-Itihad: The first Saudi products exhibition in Iraq   (8/26/2002)

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