Saudi Arabia and Iraq to re-open border crossing after 27 years

Baku. 15 August. REPORT.AZ/ Saudi Arabia and Iraq plan to open the Arar border crossing for the first time since 1990.

Report informs citing Qazeta.Ru, the border was closed after the countries cut ties following Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait.

Saudi and Iraqi officials toured the site on Monday and spoke with Iraqi religious pilgrims, who for the past 27 years had access to the crossing only once annually during the Hajj season.

The governor of Iraq's southwestern Anbar province said the Iraqi government had deployed troops to protect the desert route leading to Arar and called its opening a "significant move" to boost ties.

"This is a great start for further future cooperation between Iraq and Saudia Arabia", Sohaib al-Rawi said.

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