Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Fully vaccinated tourists from countries not facing travel ban will be allowed to enter into the Kingdom, Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said on Friday.

In a circular, the General Authority of Civil Aviation has asked all airlines operating in the Kingdom, including private carriers, to allow entry to travelers holding tourist visas from countries from which they are allowed to come to Saudi Arabia in line with the announcement of the competent authorities and on recommendations of the health committees.

Currently, the countries facing the travel ban are India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Lebanon.

The ban has been prompted by the continued surge in cases of coronavirus and its variants in these countries.

Authorities in the Kingdom have been closely monitoring the global epidemiological situation since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and decisions regarding the travel ban are based on it.

According to the circular, GACA has allowed airlines to carry inbound passengers who have tourists visas and received the complete doses of one of the vaccines approved in the Kingdom.

The authority underlined the importance of registering coronavirus vaccine doses data on the dedicated electronic portal by accessing the link https://muqeem.sa/# /vaccine-registration/home for an easy and hassle-free immigration process for tourists upon arrival at the Kingdom’s airports.

The authority confirmed that these procedures will take effect from Aug. 1 (Sunday).

On Friday, The Ministry of Tourism announced that the Kingdom will open its doors to tourists and lift the suspension of entry for tourist visa holders, starting from Aug. 1 (Sunday).

Fully vaccinated tourists can enter Saudi Arabia without needing to enter an institutional quarantine provided if they present vaccination certificates upon arrival and proof of negative PCR tests conducted within 72 hours from the time of departure.

Fully vaccinated are those who have received two doses of a vaccine that is approved in Saudi Arabia, which is Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson.

Meanwhile, those who have taken two doses of the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines will also be allowed if they have received an additional dose of one of the four above-mentioned vaccines.