9th January, 2021
Photo credit: Saudi Gazette
Saudi Press Agency on Friday reported that Saudi Arabia is set to lift the temporary travel ban and resume all international flights.
The information was contained in a statement from the Ministry of Interior.
The move, which will come into force on March 31, 2021, will include the following measures:
1. Citizens will be allowed to travel outside the Kingdom and come back.
2. The temporary ban on international flights will be lifted.
3. All air, sea, and land borders will reopen.
“The implementation of the above-mentioned measures will be done in accordance with the procedures and precautions laid down by the concerned committee amid all necessary precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the Kingdom in coordination with the concerned authorities”, the statement added.
An official source at the ministry said that the decision was made following a drop in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Kingdom, despite some countries experiencing a “second wave” of the pandemic and the emergence of a new form of the disease that can spread at a faster rate, Arab News reported.
The source also said that the Kingdom is finalising arrangements for further vaccine shipments for the immunisation of people in vulnerable groups.