The agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iraq to exchange prisoners has not yet been executed. This will happen after the Iraqi Parliament has endorsed it, local Arabic daily Al-Watan reported yesterday quoting Iraq's ambassador in Riyadh, Ghanim Alwan Al-Jamili.
The ambassador, who was on a visit to the Northern Borders province, expected the swap to take place after a month and said a joint committee from the two countries would be established to implement the articles of the agreement.
According to the ambassador, between 70 and 80 Saudi prisoners in Iraq would benefit from the agreement. "The exact number might change, as some inmates may have completed their prison terms," he said. He, however, made it clear that prisoners on the death row in the two countries would not benefit from the agreement.
During his visit, the ambassador met with the governor of the region, Prince Abdullah. He told reporters after the meeting their top priority now was the opening of the Jadeedah Arar: the border crossing between the two countries.
He said preparations for the opening of the crossing were almost completed but might need some time to be finalized. The Jadeedah Arar is the sole border entry point between the two countries and it is seasonally opened during Haj.
The ambassador also met with a number of businessmen from the region and explained about the investment opportunities available for them in Iraq, including lucrative incentives.
The volume of bilateral trade during 2011 was about $ 5 million. Al-Jamili expected the figure to increase remarkably with the opening of the border post.
Prisoner swap pact awaits approval of Iraq’s Parliament
