The US-led occupying authorities in Iraq announced on April 10 that the Saudi-Iraqi border at Arar will be reopened on June 1, boosting Saudi exports to the war-torn country.
The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA)'s Rich Galen made the announcement at a Saudi-American seminar to explore business opportunities in Iraq. The seminar was attended by a large number of Saudi businessmen and officials from the US Embassy.
The Arar border post, located 340 kilometers southwest of Baghdad, has been closed since Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Saudi exporters must transfer their goods through Jordan, increasing transportation costs by eight to ten percent, reported Arab News.
Saudi businessmen have argued that reopening the border would bring down the cost of goods and services and help cut out middlemen. Saudi exports to Iraq comprise foodstuffs, chemicals, medicine, spare parts and plastic and paper products. — (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
