Saudi Interior Ministry to lift restrictions on departure and return

Riyadh

An official source of Saudi Ministry of Interior announced today that a royal approval has stated that lifting of complete restrictions, previously imposed due to the spread of coronavirus, on the departure and return of citizens to and from Saudi Arabia and allowing the opening of air, sea and land outlets will take place after the first of January 2021.

Based on reports submitted by the competent authorities regarding details of latest developments in addressing COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia and due to continuing high rates of the pandemic infections in a number of countries, including some countries facing a second wave of the pandemic, in light of the possibility of no safe and effective vaccine for this disease by the end of 2020, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

In the interest of the safety and health of citizens, particularly those outside the Kingdom, in addition to the need for the Health Ministry's medical and health teams to focus on the various hospitals and medical centers without distracting the ministry’s efforts in combating the pandemic via moving a large number of its personnel to the land, sea and air outlets as well as the importance of lifting the suspension of international flights to and from the Kingdom and the opening of the ports gradually allowing to assess the situation in the coming months until the health risks associated with the pandemic disappear and suitable vaccines for the COVID-19 reached.