Saudi Embassy in Baghdad Reopened After 25 Years

Saudi Arabia has reopened its embassy in Baghdad, Iraq's capital, after 25 years, an action deemed significant in reducing tensions between the two countries and resuming close relations. According to Al Arabiya television, close to Saudi Arabia, Thamer al-Sabhan, the new ambassador of Riyadh in Baghdad, began his mission on Thursday, December 10. Saudi Arabia closed its embassy in Baghdad in 1990 following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. At that time, Saddam Hussein was the president of Iraq. In an interview with Al Arabiya, al-Sabhan announced his mission to bring the views of his country and the Iraqi government closer. He emphasized that Riyadh's doors are open to all Iraqi political parties. The Saudi ambassador noted that the resumption of his country's diplomatic representation in Iraq is primarily aimed at opening doors for cooperation between Riyadh and Baghdad on security issues and the fight against extremist groups. Iraqi state television also broadcast images of the reopening of the Saudi embassy in Baghdad. During Nouri al-Maliki's premiership in Iraq, relations between Baghdad and Riyadh became tense. Maliki repeatedly accused Saudi Arabia of supporting extremists in Iraq, while Riyadh accused Baghdad of sectarian discrimination against Sunnis. Improved relations between the two countries could strengthen the regional coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), which still controls large areas of Iraq. In another part of his interview, al-Sabhan called on those who have joined extremist groups like ISIS in Iraq to surrender. He stated that surrendering individuals would impact their trials. The Saudi diplomatic mission arrived in Baghdad on November 30. Ahmad Jamal, spokesperson for the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with Al Riyadh newspaper that since Ibrahim al-Jaafari became the Iraqi Foreign Minister, the development of Iraq-Saudi relations has been a priority for his ministry. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a geographical neighbor of Iraq, a friendly country with significant and deep strategic relations with Iraq. He added, 'We in the Foreign Ministry believe that relations between Baghdad and Riyadh should reach the highest level of diplomatic representation. A series of continuous meetings and dialogues between the two sides led to the important Saudi decision to reopen its embassy in Baghdad after two and a half decades of diplomatic absence. This step was met with great welcome from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, which provided all facilities related to the embassy building and its security measures.'