COVID-19: Egypt, Kuwait discuss air travel suspension

Cairo: Egyptian and Kuwaiti foreign ministers have reviewed Kuwait's decision to suspend flights from dozens of countries including Egypt on health grounds.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry phoned his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al Sabah and discussed the situation of Egyptian and Kuwaiti communities, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.

“During the contact, the Kuwaiti minister confirmed that the decision to halt flights from Egypt will be reviewed in the coming period,” the ministry added in a statement.

Both officials agreed that health ministers of the two countries will discuss potential measures to bring the situation back to normal to ease transportation between Egypt and Kuwait, according to the ministry.

The number of Egyptian expatriates in Kuwait is estimated at 500,000, making them one of the largest migrant communities in the Gulf country.

On Saturday, Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation announced banning entry of travellers from 31 "high-risk" countries on instructions from Kuwaiti health authorities.

Those countries include India, Pakistan, Egypt, and the Philippines that have large communities in Kuwait.

Other countries include Iran, China, Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Peru, Moldova, Singapore, Hong Kong, Panama, Chile and the Dominican Republic.

The travel ban, which took immediate effect, was announced hours after the Kuwait International Airport partially reopened for commercial flights after a halt of nearly five months.