Riyadh: Saudi Arabia on Thursday said travel restrictions on travellers from India and Pakistan will continue after May 17 when the Kingdom is expected to lift the ban on international flights.
The Ministry of Interior Saudi Arabia released a list of 20 countries on which travel restrictions will continue after May 17 as part of preventive measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Besides Indian and Pakistan other countries in the list are Argentina, the UAE, Germany, the US, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Brazil, Portugal, the UK, Turkey, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Lebanon, Egypt and Japan.
The clarification came in response to a citizen’s query about whether the travel suspensions will continue, Arab News said in a report.
Meanwhile WATCH how Ministry of Hajj and Umrah used to welcome Guests of Allah at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah in nromal days
Ministry of #Hajj and Umrah #MoHU welcomes Guests of Allah at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah. pic.twitter.com/c0sltELNGJ— Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (@MoHU_En) November 5, 2019
Ministry of #Hajj and Umrah #MoHU welcomes Guests of Allah at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah. pic.twitter.com/c0sltELNGJ
Noncitizens, 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, the newspaper said.
Flights to and from Saudi Arabia were first suspended on March 14, 2020, two weeks after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the coronavirus outbreak was a pandemic.
Entry to the Kingdom by air, land and sea resumed on January 3, 2021, though travellers from some countries, including Umrah priligrims from India, Pakistan and others, were still not allowed.
Before that Saudi Arabia had lifted the ban on Umrah for local pilgrims on October 4, 2020. A further easing of the restrictions was announced when the ban on international flights was lifted and pilgrims from abroad were allowed in phased manner from November 5, 2020.
The Kingdom however re-imposed ban on international flights after new Covid-19 variants first reported in UK, Brazil and South Africa was seen in Saudi Arabia in February 2021.
Alarmed by the fresh wave of Covid-19 cases, Saudi Arabia announced suspension of all international flights till March 31, 2021. The Kingdom extended the ban till May 17, 2021 as the new cases of Coronavirus continue to remain high.
The latest announcement by Saudi Interior Ministry came a day after UK added India in the listed of “restricted countries” as the country is going through the worst phase of the Pandemic that broke out more than a year ago.
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