Saudi Arabia has reduced the number of countries where its nationals and citizens are banned from traveling from 20 to just 9 as it continues to open up its airways following the global pandemic.
Last month, Saudi Arabia announced that vaccinated Saudis will be allowed to leave the kingdom for the first time in more than a year as the country eased a ban on international travel. Saudis rejoiced at the news.
“It’s a great feeling, thank God, we are happy, especially after the difficult period we and the entire world have suffered,” Bandar Al Nawash, a passenger waiting in the departure lounge of King Khalid International Airport, told the AP.
20 countries were originally banned for by the Saudi government due to unstable conditions with respect to the Coronavirus. Now, only 9 remain, according to a report in marketscreener.com.
The remaining countries on the ban list are as follows:
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Egypt
- India
- Indonesia
- Lebanon
- Pakistan
- South Africa
- Turkey
The new rules announced in late May apply to three categories of travelers, according to the U.S. State Department:
- Saudi Citizens who have received both doses of a vaccine or who have had one dose more than 14 days prior to travel as confirmed by the Tawakkalna app.
- Saudi Citizens who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection within the last six months according to the Tawakkalna app.
- Saudi Citizens under the age of 18 years who provide an insurance policy approved by the Saudi Central Bank, that covers the risks of COVID-19 outside Saudi Arabia.
Within Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom continues to return at a steady pace to normal life. Saudi Arabia has announced that entertainment activities and events across the Kingdom would resume after months of shutdowns and cancellations in order to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
