Iraqi - Saudi borders to be open after 11 years of closure

The first Saudi truck which transports goods to Iraq is scheduled to cross next week Araar border center which has been closed since 1991, according to an official at the Saudi customs department.

To this effect, the Iraqi minister of industry Muyassar Shallah announced several days ago after a visit he had held to Saudi Arabia that Baghdad is ready to received any Saudi exports through this center.

The Saudi official said that "all preparations were made to open the border center and we are waiting for the green- light from the foreign ministry after consultations with the UN." He explained that in the first phase "The Saudi trucks will be permitted to cross and in a later phase for other Arab Gulf trucks." Saudi businessmen stressed that transporting the goods immediately to Iraq will lead to reducing transport costs by 8 to 10%. These goods used to arrive into Iraq through Jordan after the Iraqi- Saudi borders were closed during the second Gulf war.

Meantime, The Iraqi minister of industry said after his return from Riyadh that he had proposed to the Saudi officials to sign a free trade agreement between the two states, noting that Riyadh welcomed the idea and is studying the proposal.