Saudi Arabia, Oman open first direct land road

ISTANBUL

Saudi Arabia and Oman on Tuesday inaugurated the first direct land road between the two countries.

The 725-kilometer-long (447 miles) road will contribute to the smooth movement and the integration of supply chains, a joint statement said.

The road opening came at the conclusion of a two-day visit to Oman by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Politically, both Riyadh and Muscat agreed to pursue efforts to solve the 7-year military conflict in Yemen. They also called for a comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in a way that leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian states on the pre-1967 borders.

Regarding Iran, the two countries underlined the importance of cooperation to address Iran’s nuclear and missile files.

Bin Salman arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) earlier Tuesday after concluding his visit to Oman. He is also scheduled to visit Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain as part of his current Gulf tour to prepare for the upcoming Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in mid-December.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara