Saudi Arabia allows direct entry from all countries

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has announced that it will allow direct entry from all countries for all people who received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine from within the Kingdom, starting from 1am on Saturday, December 4, local media reported.

According to the Saudi Press Agency quoting an official source of the Ministry of Interior, travellers will be required to spend three days in institutional quarantine after their arrival. The source said that all travellers who took one dose of any of the approved vaccines against coronavirus from inside the Kingdom are not required to spend 14 days in quarantine in a third country before their arrival in the Kingdom.

The ministry source had announced on Thursday that it would allow direct entry from six countries effective from 1am on Wednesday, December 1 without spending 14-day quarantine in a third country.

The countries included in the list are Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Brazil and Vietnam. All those who come from these countries are required to spend five days in institutional quarantine, regardless of their immunization status outside the Kingdom.

The ministry source stressed the importance of adhering to the application of all precautionary measures and preventive protocols that have taken to stem the spread of coronavirus.

“All the procedures and measures are subject to continuous evaluation by the competent health authorities in the Kingdom, according to the developments in the pandemic situation globally,” the source said.

Earlier on August 24, the Ministry of Interior had issued directives to allow direct entry of fully vaccinated expatriates from countries facing travel ban. Saudi Arabia had temporarily suspended all international flights from March 15, 2020, following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.