The two sides are also expected to discuss a number of ongoing disagreements over oil and the budget, NRT reported.
Abdul Mahdi and a delegation of officials were greeted at Erbil International Airport by Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani.
The federal delegation included Finance Minister Fuad Hussein, Foreign Minister Muhammad Ali al-Hakim, Minister of Planning Nuri al-Dulaimi, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Qusay al-Suhail, and head of the intelligence service Mustafa al-Kazemi.
During his visit, Abdul Mahdi is also expected to meet with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, KRG Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, and Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani.
At the end of the summer, Baghdad and Erbil were preparing for difficult negotiations over the 2020 budget, oil, the disputed areas, and the future of their relationship.
In the interim, however, massive anti-government unrest and geopolitical tensions between regional rivals have set those concerns on the backburner, despite their importance.
Abdul Mahdi is currently operating in a caretaker capacity, having had his resignation offer accepted by the Council of Representatives at the beginning of December. However, disagreements between President Barham Salih, protesters, and several Shia parties have meant that he has remained in office while a solution in hammered out.
Days before Abdul Mahdi offered his resignation, Erbil and Baghdad reached an agreement to resolve the Kurdistan Region’s failure to transfer 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day to Baghdad. With the caretaker prime minister poised to remain in office for the foreseeable future, but dogged by questions about the authority of his government, it remains to be seen whether Erbil will remain committed to that agreement, having abrogated last year’s budget law.
Also on the agenda were the events of the past week, which saw the US assassinate Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani last Friday, prompting the Council of Representatives to vote to call on the government to seek the exit of foreign troops from Iraq. Kurdish and Sunni parties boycotted the session.
On Wednesday, Iran retaliated to the assassination by firing nearly two dozen ballistic missiles at bases in Anbar and Erbil hosting US and coalition troops.
Officials in the Kurdistan Region called for dialogue and de-escalation, making it clear that they wanted coalition troops to remain in order to keep pressure on Islamic State and prevent it from reasserting itself.
Reporter's code: 50101