Mr Thamer Al-Sabhan has become the first Saudi Ambassador to Iraq in 25 years. (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)

Spokesperson for the Iraqi President Khalid Shawani said the appointment is a positive step taken at the correct time, adding that it was a message of reassurance for the Iraqi people and government and will open new horizons for co-operation between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, especially as both countries are facing the same threat of terrorism.
Saudi Arabia closed its embassy in Baghdad in 1990 after former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein attacked Kuwait during the Gulf War. Relations between Riyadh and Baghdad remained strained until Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi took office as a result of intense diplomatic efforts in response to the rise of the Islamic State.