Saudi Arabia to lift travel ban on 17 May

Saudi Arabia's land, sea, and air borders will all be fully open as of 17 May, according to the country's Ministry of Interior.

All immunised people will be able to travel outside the Kingdom from 1:00 am on 17 May, announced the ministry, reports Saudi Gazette. 

Citizens who have received two doses of the coronavirus vaccine or those who have passed 14 days after receiving the first dose of the vaccine have been allowed to fly.

However, citizens have been urged to exercise extreme caution while travelling to high-risk countries, where the disease is spreading at a faster pace, according to a ministry source.

The decision to lift the suspension on travel outside the Kingdom would be available to the following groups of people.

First: The citizens who received two doses of coronavirus vaccine or those who passed 14 days after taking the first dose of the vaccine as confirmed by the data displayed on the Tawakkalna Application.

Second: Citizens who have recovered from coronavirus infection, provided that they have spent less than six months since their infection as confirmed by the data displayed on Tawakkalna App.

Third: Citizens under the age of 18 years, provided that they submit before travel an insurance policy approved by the Saudi Central Bank, covering the risks of COVID-19 outside Saudi Arabia in accordance with the instructions announced by the relevant authorities.

These people have to remain in home quarantine for a period of seven days after returning to the Kingdom and a PCR test shall be taken at the end of the quarantine period, while children under the age of eight years are exempted from the PCR test.

The directives regarding this category of citizens are subject to amendment in line with the instructions of the Ministry of Health.

The official source stressed the need for everyone to adhere to the precautionary measures and preventive protocols, and not to be complacent in applying health requirements, such as social distancing, wearing a mask, and continuously disinfecting hands.

The source emphasized that all precautionary measures and preventive protocols related to travel are subject to continuous evaluation by Saudi Public Health Authority (Weqaya) in accordance with the developments related to the pandemic.

The source urged travellers to observe all procedures and restrictions imposed by other countries, in order to avoid any difficulties they may face, and the need to take caution when travelling to high-risk countries, where the disease is spreading at a high rate in accordance with what is announced periodically by the competent authorities.