Saudi Arabia confirmed that it would resume international flights at 1 a.m. on May 17, but will exclude 20 countries where the ban on flights continues as part of preventive measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Saudia airline said.
The United States remained as one of the countries on the banned list, according to a report in Arab News.
The banned countries, named by the Ministry of Interior, are: Argentina, the UAE, Germany, the US, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Pakistan, Brazil, Portugal, the UK, Turkey, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Lebanon, Egypt, India and Japan. According to Arab News, the clarification “came in response to a citizen’s query about whether the travel suspensions will continue.”
The U.S. State department’s website, updated April 21, warns U.S. citizens to not travel to Saudi Arabia due to COVID-19.
Non-citizens, diplomats, health practitioners and their families traveling from the listed countries have been denied entry to the Kingdom since Feb. 3. The ban applies to arriving passengers who have passed through any of the prohibited countries in the 14 days prior to their application to enter the Kingdom.
