Hundreds of Overseas Pakistanis working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), who temporarily returned to Pakistan due to the Covid-19 outbreak, have been stuck here for the last 10 months. Direct flights from Pakistan are suspended indefinitely by the government of Saudi Arabia. Those who can manage to transit through a third country after meeting stringent quarantine requirements are required to go through another series of testing and quarantine on arrival in the KSA. Also, people arriving in the country must be vaccinated. People who are looking forward to returning to the KSA are likely to spend at least three to four weeks in transit. Also, they have to spend close to $8000 to meet the cost of travel, including paying for quarantine facilities and Covid-19 tests. The biggest challenge that travellers from Pakistan face now is that vaccines that have been administered to a large number of Pakistanis here are not being approved in the KSA.
The country has recently started administering the UK-made AstraZeneca vaccine. However, it is only for people who are 40 or above. As a result, many Pakistani workers are stuck in the country and are desperately waiting for the revival of direct flights and the availability of the brands of vaccines that are approved by the Ministry of Health in the KSA. The government should look into the problems being faced by these people and should consult with the authorities in the KSA to facilitate them on an urgent basis.
Tipoo Sultan
Rawalpindi