As relations improve, Kuwait eyes investment opportunities in Iraq

On 27 February, an Iraqi Airways plane landed in Kuwait City for the first time since August 1990. The trigger for the resumption of flights from Baghdad was Kuwait’s ratification of a settlement of a dispute over Gulf War-era debts, but the return of Iraqi Airways’ green insignia to Kuwaiti tarmac can be seen as symbolic of a wider détente. The relationship between the neighbours has been buoyed by a raft of positive political and economic developments, the former feeding the latter. Telecoms, energy, real estate and retail sectors have all benefited from Kuwaiti investment, and while contentious issues still remain – including skirmishes along the border – there is much to gain for the neighbours and the region from the mending of historical ills.