COVID-19: Saudi Arabia will soon lift travel restrictions for coronavirus

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior said Tuesday it will soon announce the exact date for lifting travel restrictions imposed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Saudi News Agency (SPA) reported. .

Citing an official ministry source, SPA said lifting the ban on citizens and residents from traveling to and from the kingdom will be announced shortly by the ministry.

On September 13, the ministry announced that the travel ban was tentatively scheduled to be lifted on January 1, 2021. The ministry had previously said that the deadline for lifting the suspension would be announced 30 days before it happened, but it must still do so.

“The date for the lifting of the restrictions on citizens and residents traveling to and from the Kingdom and which will allow the opening of ports to all means of transport will soon be announced by the ministry,” the source said in a statement brought by SPA. .

The source added that the ministry would like to confirm that the date for lifting the restrictions on round-trip travel and for allowing ports to open will be announced later.

The ministry was expected to make the final announcement, confirming the exact date to ease travel restrictions imposed in the wake of the global outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the source said.

The ministry also indicated that the Ministry of Health could raise a request to set up coronavirus protocols for travelers and airlines.

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) resumed partial operations of international flights on September 15, exempting certain categories of Saudis and expatriates from the temporary travel ban.

Saudia has resumed her services to 33 international destinations since November.