RIYADH – Saudi Arabia has allowed Pakistani travelers to directly land in the kingdom, as it relaxes stern travel curbs imposed in wake of the COVID pandemic.
Reports of Saudi Gazette quoting Ministry of Interior cited that it has issued directives to allow direct entry of fully vaccinated passengers from countries facing travel ban including Pakistan.
The diplomatic missions as well as the expatriate community have hailed the much-awaited decision. The Embassy of Pakistan in KSA also while commending the decision shared a tweet.
“The Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh welcomes the decision of the Govt of the KSA to allow direct travel from Pakistan to KSA, for those having valid Saudi residency permits, and who have received 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine inside KSA, before their departure from the Kingdom”, it stated.
The Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh welcomes the decision of the Govt of the KSA to allow direct travel from Pakistan to KSA, for those having valid Saudi residency permits, and who have received 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine inside KSA, before their departure from the Kingdom.
— Pakistan Embassy Saudi Arabia (@PakinSaudiArab) August 24, 2021
Meanwhile, the countries facing the travel ban are Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Lebanon.
Earlier, the Kingdom allowed conditional entry of travelers fully vaccinated with China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines provided they have had a booster shot.
Official notification of the Saudi MOFA stated “Guests who have completed two doses of the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines will be accepted if they have received an additional dose of one of the four vaccines approved in the kingdom,” So far, only AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson have been approved by the health authorities in KSA.
However, all passengers arriving in the Kingdom will be required to provide proof of vaccination along a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before departure and an approved paper vaccination certificate, certified by the official health authorities in the issuing country.
The Saudi authorities have also removed the quarantine requirement for vaccinated passengers.
