Iraq, Saudi Arabia agree to boost ties
A high-level Saudi delegation visited Baghdad to sign several economic and investment agreements in order to create a balance between Iraq's neighboring countries.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had a virtual meeting Nov. 10 with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to discuss Saudi investments in Iraq. Kadhimi has encouraged the Saudis to increase their investments in Iraq.
On Nov. 8, during his meeting with a Saudi ministerial delegation in Baghdad, Kadhimi announced that investment opportunities are available to Saudi companies, stressing that his government is seeking to overcome all obstacles facing them.
The announcement was made just days after Iraqi political and armed parties had rejected Saudi investments in the desert of four Iraqi provinces. Riyadh seeks to cultivate 1 million hectares in the desert area extending from the adjacent Muthanna province to Anbar, bordering Jordan and Syria, passing through Karbala and Najaf provinces in the central Euphrates area.
On Oct. 31, the State of Law Coalition led by Nouri al-Maliki rejected Saudi investments in Iraq and considered them a “threat” to the country, describing this as “colonialism” and not investment.
