Jakarta –
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday lifted a ban on direct entry on foreign nationals (foreigners) from 20 countries. Previously, Saudi Arabia completely closed entry into the country in February as a way to suppress the spread of COVID-19.
Quotes Arab News, Wednesday (25/8/2021), the Consular Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision to open access only applies to expatriates who are fully vaccinated in Saudi Arabia before they leave for their home countries. The ban excludes Saudi nationals, foreign diplomats, health practitioners and their families.
The announcement came as Saudi Arabia recorded seven new COVID-19-related deaths on Tuesday, raising the total number of deaths to 8,497.
Expats wishing to return to Saudi Arabia must undergo all health checks to ensure they are free of infection, the agency added. Countries that can get permits include the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Japan.
This also applies to travelers who have transited through one of these 20 countries in the 14 days prior to their planned visit to the Kingdom. Previously, an immediate entry ban was imposed due to a global spike in cases linked to the variants detected in the UK, South Africa and Brazil and concerns that a vaccine being rolled out worldwide might be less effective against them.
Many passengers have used Dubai as a transit hub from countries where there are no direct flights to Saudi Arabia, an option that was no longer available after the ban took effect. In addition to the February ban, Saudi health officials warned that stricter measures would be needed to curb the spread of the virus if the public continued to violate regulations on social distancing and bans on large gatherings.
Flights to and from the Kingdom were first suspended on March 14, 2020, two weeks after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.
Entry into Saudi Arabia by air, land and sea resumed on January 3.
(dna / hns)
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