The head of the Association of Iraqi Private Banks, Wadih al-Hantal, called on Saudi banks to visit Iraq and strengthen bilateral relations.
“Iraq is looking forward to Saudi Arabia to play a bigger role in economic relations through increasing trade, especially since Saudi Oil Minister Khalid al-Faleh announced Saudi exports amounting to 187 billion riyals in 2016,” al-Hanalal said in a speech to a meeting of Iraqi and Saudi businessmen organized by the National Business Council. “, Wondering where” Iraq’s position of Saudi exports. ”
He noted that “next year should be the volume of trade exchange between Iraq and Saudi Arabia not less than 4 billion dollars because the trade with Turkey is 11 billion dollars.”
He stressed the need to “facilitate the work of Saudi businessmen in Iraq through the opening of border crossings and the relaxation of customs procedures,” and called on the Saudi government to “give the features of the entry of Iraqi businessmen to Saudi Arabia through Saudi Arabian Airlines or other lines.”
He encouraged Saudi businessmen to “invest in listed companies in the Iraqi market for securities, including banks, especially that international companies have evaluated banks with global governance by the Central Bank.”
Al-Hantal highlighted the importance of governance, which has objectives and indications, including the hosting of the Security Council by the Governor of the Central Bank Ali Al-Alaq, a historic precedent that did not come from 1946 in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations No. 23 to spread security and security. He wished success of economic relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia in the coming period.
On the other hand, the charge d’affaires of the Saudi embassy in Baghdad, Abdul Aziz al-Shammari, welcomed the invitation of al-Hanal.
“We thank the invitation to the Saudi banks and we also invite the President of the Association of Private Banks and the Custodian of the Hanbal and the Iraqi bankers to visit Saudi Arabia,” Al-Shammari said in his comments on Al-Hantal.
