Saudi Arabia has lifted the entry ban on travelers from 11 countries, with strict adherence to quarantine procedures upon arrival. The ban had been imposed during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Travelers from the UAE, Germany, the United States, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, France and Japan, will be allowed entry from Sunday, according to Interior Ministry sources quoted by the Saudi state news agency on Saturday.
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Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia had allowed vaccinated individuals to fly abroad after easing its international travel ban that focused on containing the coronavirus and its new variants. However – till now — the ease in travel restrictions had excluded 20 countries where the ban on flights continue as a part of Saudi’s COVID-19 preventive measures.
The ban, which had come into effect on February 3, covered all non-citizens, diplomats, health practitioners, and their families who have passed through any of the prohibited countries in the 14 days prior to their application to enter Saudi Arabia.
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However, the kingdom’s decision to lift the ban on 11 countries’ citizens was based on the Public Health Authority’s report of the epidemiological situation which “showed stability and effectiveness in controlling the pandemic” in those countries, the SPA stated.
The travel ban remains in effect for the remaining nine banned countries, including India, Pakistan, Argentina, Indonesia, Portugal, Turkey, South Africa, Lebanon, and Egypt. (AW)
