ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s western Rabia border crossing with Syria is set to officially reopen on Monday after a 12-year closure, with officials confirming it will operate round the clock and serve as a key route for trade, including oil shipments, between the two countries.
Located about 120 kilometers west of Mosul in Nineveh province, the Rabia crossing is resuming operations following extensive renovations and technical upgrades aimed at restoring cross-border commerce disrupted since 2014, when militants from the Islamic State (ISIS) seized large parts of Iraq and Syria.
Samer Qasim Dawood, head of Iraq’s General Customs Authority, told Rudaw that the facility is fully prepared to begin operations, having been equipped with the necessary infrastructure and modern systems.
“Through this crossing, the exchange of commercial goods will take place, in addition to oil and petroleum products,” Dawood said, adding that the crossing will operate 24 hours a day and is fully ready in terms of infrastructure, logistics, and automation.
The reopening comes amid ongoing disruptions to Iraq’s export infrastructure. Shipments through Basra ports were halted on February 28 following a large-scale US and Israeli military campaign against Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.