TEHRAN – During a meeting held on Tuesday, the Consul General of Iran in Jeddah and the Emir of Medina emphasized leveraging the substantial potential between Iran and Saudi Arabia to further advance the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Hassan Zarnegar Abarghouei began his assignment in November, with a mandate to enhance areas such as trade and the economy, as well as to facilitate Hajj and Umrah for Iranian pilgrims.

During his meeting with the Arab Emir, Abarghouei highlighted the development of trade and economic relations, the importance of direct commercial exchanges, as well as Tehran’s readiness to expand commercial and economic relations.

The Emir of Medina, Salman bin Sultan, emphasized the official stance of the two West Asian countries, saying it is important for different officials to move towards the development of closer relations. He also listed the different services that the Saudi government offers to pilgrims who seek to visit holy sites in Medina. 

The Iranian Consulate in Saudi Arabia’s port city of Jeddah was officially reopened in June of last year. The two countries had severed their ties in January 2016 after the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, prompted angry protests in front of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and the kingdom's Consulate in the holy city of Mashhad.

China successfully mediated high-stakes talks between Tehran and Riyadh in March of last year, which led to the conclusion of a deal between the two sides that foresaw the resumption of their ties.