Saudi Arabia to suspend flights with 4 countries including UAE over COVID-19

Riyadh also banned from travelling to Ethiopia, Vietnam, Afghanistan without permission

 

Saudi Arabia has said it will suspend flights with four countries, including the UAE due to COVID-19 concerns.

 

Starting from Sunday, flights will be suspended with the UAE, Ethiopia, Vietnam and Afghanistan and all arrivals including citizens and foreigners from these countries will be subjected to institutional quarantine, the Saudi news agency SPA reported, citing an official source at the Interior Ministry.

 

Saudi citizens will be banned from direct or indirect travel to these countries without prior permission from the competent agencies in the kingdom, the source added.

 

Exempted from the ban are Saudis who are currently in any of these countries and who will return home before 11pm on Sunday when the flight suspension takes effect, the source added.

 

The source said the step comes due to the continued outbreak of COVID-19 and the emergence of new variants of the virus.

 

Starting from May 30, travellers coming from 11 countries, including the UAE, Germany, US, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, France and Japan, were allowed to enter the kingdom.