World
Saudi Arabia to reopen on August 1 to immunized travellers after 17-month hiatus
Saudi Arabia will reopen its borders for foreign travellers after a 17-month closure due to the COVID epidemic on August 1.
As per Saudi Arabia's Tourism Ministry, travellers who are fully immunized with Kingdom’s approved shots will be allowed to enter the country 'without the need for an institutional quarantine period'.
"The Ministry of Tourism announced that the Kingdom will open its doors to foreign tourists, and lift... the suspension of entry for tourist visa holders, starting from August 1," the Saudi Press Agency reported.
As per the Kingdom's Tourism Ministry, travellers who are fully vaccinated with Saudi-approved jabs, that are—Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson will be allowed to enter the country.
Also, the tourists will have to carry a negative RT-PCR COVID test taken within the last 72 hours and register their details with health authorities.
"Visitors to the Kingdom are also required to register their data related to vaccination doses via the new electronic portal dedicated to this, in addition to registering their data via the “Tawakkalna" application, which is mandatory to enter public places," the Saudi Press Agency added.
According to the Saudi embassy, nationals of the following countries may obtain an E-visa (online or upon arrival at any of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ports of entry: Canada, the United States, Brunei, China, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.
Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, stated, “We welcome tourists again, and we are very happy to receive the Kingdom’s guests again after a pause due to the repercussions of the Coronavirus pandemic.” He added: “We focused our efforts during the pause on close cooperation with our partners in all sectors to ensure a safe return through which visitors to the Kingdom can enjoy exploring its tourist treasures, important destinations and landmarks, enjoy unique tourist experiences and learn about the culture of generosity and hospitality characterizing Saudi society.”
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had launched the tourist visa in September 2019, in a historic decision in which the Kingdom opened its heart and its doors to tourists from different countries of the world.
Between September 2019 and March 2020, it issued 400,000 visas.
However, the COVID-19 outbreak also hugely disrupted the hajj and umrah pilgrimages, usually a key revenue earner for the kingdom. In normal times, they together rake in some $12 billion annually.