Saudi Arabia Extends Entry Ban for Foreigners

Riyadh, MINA – Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry extended the entry ban for foreigners by closing its air, land and sea borders for a week as concerns over a new variant of the coronavirus (Covid-19) that spread rapidly earlier this month started in the UK and have reached out several countries in the world, including the Middle East.

The state news agency Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Monday reported that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has closed its borders since December 21 and suspended international commercial flights on a rolling basis. Foreign flights already in the country are allowed to exit.

“The government of Saudi Arabia has decided to extend these measures for another week, to continue to assess the situation, and to ensure the safety of citizens and expats, with an emphasis on excluding the movement of goods, commodities and supply chains,” the statement said.

On the latest decision, the Interior Ministry said it was evaluating the situation while allowing non-citizens to leave the kingdom. The government will allow entry of visitors from outside with special conditions.

Despite restrictions on air, land and sea traffic for humans, the government says these measures do not affect the movement of goods. Logistics will still be able to get in and out of the kingdom. The Saudi government is also assessing the current situation and the travel suspension can be extended further if necessary.

On Sunday, Jordan confirmed two cases stemming from a highly contagious variant in a man and his wife who had arrived from England.

Furthermore, Lebanon previously announced that its country detected the first case of the new variant on flights arriving from London on Friday. More than 50 countries have imposed travel restrictions from the UK. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)