World Bulletin / News Desk

Saudi Arabia plans to open a consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s northern Kurdish region, the Saudi ambassador in Baghdad said Sunday.

Thamer al-Sabhan, who is currently in the region on a formal visit, said his country also planned to open an embassy in Iraqi capital Baghdad.

"And it will also open a consulate in Erbil," al-Sabhan added in statements to the official website of northern Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government.

Last month, Riyadh announced plans to open an embassy in Baghdad following a 25-year hiatus.

In 1990, Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic relations with Iraq and closed its Baghdad embassy following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq’s then-president, Saddam Hussein.