A Saudi delegation will travel to Baghdad in the coming week to start preparations to reopen an embassy in the Iraqi capital for the first time in 25 years, the Saudi Press Agency said Jan. 3, Reuters reported. The Saudi Press Agency also said Riyadh planned to set up a general consulate in Arbil. Saudi Arabia closed its Baghdad embassy in 1990 after former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. The diplomatic effort comes as Saudi Arabia continues to compete with Iran for influence in the region .