Iraqi-Saudi relations is the most complex issue that Iraq has to deal with. But, at the same time, it is the closest to being resolved if the political entities of both countries prove to be serious about resuming the historical relations that brought their countries together.

While Iraqi-Saudi relations were never at their best — except for short periods of time — the iciness that gripped them never prevented both from appreciating the reciprocal strategic, cultural, human and religious roles that they played in the region and the world.

By completely cutting off Iraqi-Saudi relations in the aftermath of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia joined the ranks of the front that endeavored throughout the 1990s to curtail the role played by Saddam Hussein’s regime, contain its regional ambitions and eventually lead the political charge that resulted in its downfall in 2003.

Everyone remembers that Saudi Arabian health and political crews rushed to enter Iraq in the early days that followed the toppling of the regime, in a clear indication that the kingdom was ready to open up politically and economically to Iraq.