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Business and Economic News alleviates Saudi Arabia’s ban on travel for embedded citizens

The inserted Saudis left the kingdom more than a year earlier on Monday because the country had eased the ban on international travel aimed at spreading the coronavirus and its new variants.

For the past 14 months, Saudi Arabia’s citizens have been banned from traveling mostly because international travel could cause the virus to explode in the country of more than 30 million people. The ban, which has been in effect since March 2020, has affected Saudi students studying abroad, among other things.

In recent months, however, the kingdom has vaccinated at least 11.5 million people with at least one co-owner of the COVID-19 vaccine, and according to new guidelines they have the right to leave the country on Monday. Authorities will also allow people who have recovered from the virus and minors under the age of 18 with travel insurance to travel abroad.

By easing the rules, the rush of holidaymakers caused them to leave the kingdom after a Muslim holiday in Eid al-Fitr.

“It’s a beautiful feeling after being away from Bahrain for so long,” said the Saudi, who is traveling to the nation on the island of Mohammed.

Sweeping measures

Saudi Arabian passengers must show health status to airport officials through the government’s health app, Tawakkalna. Travelers returning from abroad will be required to undergo quarantine at home and be tested for the virus.

The kingdom, which has covered coronavirus-related hospitalizations for citizens and residents, imposed some of the toughest measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the early days of the pandemic. For several weeks the mosque and business are closed, the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is drastically reduced every year and the borders are sealed to travelers.

Passengers flew to Saudi Arabian airports on Monday for flights abroad.

“We have been closed in Saudi Arabia for about a year and a half, so we can’t believe we can lift the ban and see the world,” said Nawaf al-Askar, a Saudi Arabian from Riyadh to Bosnia and Herzegovina with his family.

Other travelers went abroad to study again or on delayed business trips. “We’ve been dreaming [of travelling] for more than a year … Thank God the airport is open and we can escape, ”said Saleh Riyadh’s neighbor.

In the latest list of countries with limited direct or indirect travel, however, there are several high-risk nations, including Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Turkey and India.

The Saudis, however, will once again be able to cross into neighboring Bahrain from the King Fahd Causeway road from Monday, as the restrictions have eased, according to local media. The small national island where it is legal to sell alcohol under specific rules is a popular destination for Saudi Arabs and others who want a short vacation.

The main carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will operate flights to 71 destinations, 43 international destinations, from Monday. These include Cairo, Sharm el-Sheikh, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Athens, Frankfurt, Washington and New York.

With few exceptions, foreigners from 20 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and France, remain banned from entering the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia has reported more than 430,000 cases of the virus since the pandemic began, including more than 7,160 deaths. About 1,400 people remain in critical condition with the virus.

Although holders of tourist visas to Saudi Arabia continue to be denied entry, the kingdom is aggressively marketing its sites to future visitors.

At the presentation of the Dubai Alava Travel Market this week, Saudi Arabia markets the Red Sea coast and heritage sites, such as the ruins of the Al-Ula desert and the Diriyah fort outside Riyadh.

The kingdom opened to international tourism in September 2019, just months before the coronavirus outbreak.




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