Saudi Arabia lifts travel ban on 11 countries, Pakistan not included

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia lifted a ban on travellers arriving from 11 countries from early Sunday that it imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, but still requires quarantine procedures, foreign media reported.

Travellers from the United Arab Emirates, Germany, the United States, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, France and Japan, will be allowed entry from Sunday, Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Saturday, quoting an Interior Ministry source.

The list does not contain Pakistan's name.

Due to stability in the epidemiological scene and effective pandemic-controlling efforts in those countries, Saudi Arabia has decided to allow travellers coming from the 11 countries, starting from Sunday 1 am (PST 3 am), Gulf News reported quoting an official source at the Saudi Interior Ministry.

International passengers coming in to Saudi Arabia are all required to undergo a seven-day mandatory quarantine period at their own expense, starting from the day of arrival, at one of the kingdom's quarantine facilities the publication reported.

On the seventh day, they must take a PCR test, after which they will be allowed to leave quarantine if its comes back negative.

In February, Saudi Arabia temporarily halted flights with several countries, exempting Saudis, diplomats and health workers from the ban.

The 20 countries on the ban list were Argentina, the UAE, France, Germany, the US, Indonesia, India, Japan, Ireland, Italy, Pakistan, Brazil, Portugal, the UK, Turkey, South Africa, Sweden, the Swiss Confederation, Lebanon, and Egypt.