The Saudi Ministry of the Interior has issued a decision banning all citizens from traveling to the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Vietnam without obtaining official prior permission.
A source in the ministry indicated that “out of the Kingdom’s government’s keenness on the safety of citizens wishing to travel abroad, and in light of the continuing outbreak of the corona pandemic and the spread of a new mutated strain of the virus, it was decided to prevent direct or indirect travel of citizens, without obtaining prior permission from the Ministry of Health or concerned authorities, to the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Vietnam, while continuing to prevent direct or indirect travel of citizens to the previously announced countries.”
The statement added: “It was [furthermore] decided to suspend entry from the aforementioned countries, in addition to Afghanistan.”
The Ministry stressed that the suspension of flights will take effect starting 11 PM next Sunday.
The decision excludes citizens who are currently already in the affected countries and will be able to return before midnight on Sunday.
