Saudi Arabia on February 27 announced the suspension of entry of pilgrims and tourist amid the spread of COVID-19.
In a statement, the Saudi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is “suspending entry to the Kingdom for the purpose of Umrah and visiting the Prophet’s Mosque temporarily.”
Umrah attracts millions of Muslims around the world to visit the holy site of Mecca.
READ ALSO: Around 3 million Umrah visas issued in Saudi
The ministry also said it was suspending visas for tourists from countries where the COVID-19 outbreak occurred.
The use of national identity cards by Saudi nationals and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to travel to and from the Kingdom were likewise suspended.
Exempted to this are Saudis who are in overseas who used their cards and citizens of GCC states currently inside Saudi Arabia and desires to return home.
The ministry said they based their decision on the recommendation of health authorities to take precautionary measures to prevent the arrival of the epidemic.
“Saudi Arabia renews its support for all international measures to limit the spread of this virus, and urges its citizens to exercise caution before traveling to countries experiencing coronavirus outbreaks,” the ministry stressed.
SEE ALSO: Saudi Arabia still free from novel coronavirus
