RIYADH – Saudi Arabia has allowed travellers from Pakistan to directly land in kingdom, easing travel restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
People, who have valid Saudi residency permits and have been vaccinated against Covid-19 in the Kingdom, will be able to take direct flights. Earlier, the travelers from Pakistan had to stay in another country for 14 days before entering Saudi Arabia.
The Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh has welcomed the decision.
In a tweet, it said: “The Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh welcomes the decision of the Govt of the KSA to allow direct travel from Pakistan to KSA, for those having valid Saudi residency permits, and who have received 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine inside KSA, before their departure from the Kingdom”.
سفارت خانہ پاکستان ریاض ،سعودی حکومت کے فیصلے کا خیر مقدم کرتا ہے، جس کے تحت پاکستان سے سعودی عرب کے لۓ براہ راست فلائٹس بحال کر دی گئ ہیں، غیر منقضیہ سعودی اقامہ مالکان کے لۓ اور ایسے افراد کے لۓ جنہوں نے سعودی عرب سے خروج سے قبل کرونا ویکسین کی ۲ ڈوز لگوا رکھی ہیں۔ https://t.co/OedSLxO06F
— Pakistan Embassy Saudi Arabia (@PakinSaudiArab) August 24, 2021
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia announced to allow entry to international travellers fully vaccinated with either Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines, provided that they will be required to get a booster shot of any of the four vaccines approved by the Kingdom.
According to the e-visa portal of the Kingdom, “Guests who have completed two doses of the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines will be accepted if they have received an additional dose of one of the four vaccines approved in the Kingdom”.
The Saudi government opened its doors to international visitors on August 1. “All visitors arriving in the country with a valid tourism visa must provide evidence of a full course of one the four vaccines currently recognized: two doses of the Oxford/Astra Zeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson,” it added.
Travelers arriving in Saudi Arabia are also required to provide a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before departure and an approved paper vaccination certificate, certified by the official health authorities in the issuing country, according to the guidelines
There is no quarantine requirement for vaccinated travelers to the kingdom.
On July 30, Saudi Arabia announced that the Kingdom will open its doors to foreign tourists, and lift off the suspension of entry for tourist visa holders, starting from August 1, 2021.
The restrictions, according to a Saudi news agency, were lifted after 17 months.
