Saudi Arabia lifts ban from travelers arriving from 11 countries

Saudi Arabia is lifting a ban on travelers arriving from 11 countries that it imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, the Saudi state news agency said on Saturday, but will still require quarantine procedures.

Travelers 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, SPA reported, quoting an Interior Ministry source.

Saudi citizens have largely been barred from travel since March 2020, when the kingdom first banned all travel in and out of the country as Covid-19 began spreading worldwide.

Its borders reopened in July 2020 but citizens were still not allowed to travel. In January, authorities postponed the end of the travel ban for the public and the full reopening of entry points to May 17.

In February, it suspended entry for non-citizens from 20 states with the exception of diplomats and medical practitioners.