Iraq’s Prime Minister Visits Riyadh to Boost Ties Amid Regional Turmoil

According to IraqiNews.com, on Wednesday, Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi reached Riyadh for a visit intended to bolster Baghdad-Riyadh relations, occurring amid rising regional conflict and recent attacks on Saudi infrastructure that have heightened worries about Gulf security.

The escalating regional conflict and attacks on Saudi infrastructure have heightened concerns about the security of the Gulf.

Diplomatic Engagement Amid Rising Tensions

The premier’s office confirmed his arrival, describing it as a significant diplomatic engagement while both nations confront mounting security and economic challenges.

The visit follows a weekend during which Yemen’s Houthi movement launched missile strikes on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, an attack that caused at least twelve fatalities and left over three hundred people injured, with further strikes on Saudi facilities reported in the days after.

Al-Zaidi’s presence in the capital coincides with the 25th WPC Energy Congress underway in Riyadh, where Iraq’s Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair and Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Waheeb took part in senior-level energy discussions.

Energy Talks and Infrastructure Plans

During the congress, the two Iraqi officials met with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman to discuss ways to deepen cooperation in energy infrastructure, power supply and investment.

Before the trip, the prime minister had advocated for closer strategic coordination with Saudi Arabia in an article published on Tuesday by the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

In that article, he characterised Baghdad-Riyadh relations as strategically vital, referring to their common economic and security concerns and noting ongoing efforts to rebuild mutual trust.

He stressed that Iraq’s security and Saudi Arabia’s stability are bound together with the wider Gulf security picture, and reiterated Baghdad’s commitment to respecting the sovereignty of neighbouring states and ensuring Iraq does not become a source of regional instability.

Economic cooperation is expected to be a major focus of the talks, particularly because the continuing conflict and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have exposed Iraq’s reliance on fragile oil export and trade routes.

One subject under discussion is the possible revival of an oil pipeline linking Iraq to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu, which would offer an alternative export route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.

Broader Gulf Cooperation

The visit also lines up with broader initiatives to enhance commercial, investment and transport connections between the two countries, especially those linked to Iraq’s Development Road project.

Al-Zaidi is additionally scheduled to travel to Kuwait as part of a wider Gulf diplomatic tour aimed at discussing regional security and economic cooperation.