JEDDAH — Saudi Arabian Airlines has issued travel guidelines and requirements for 38 countries around the world, following the announcement by the Ministry of Interior to lift the suspension of international travel, starting from 1:00 a.m. on Monday, May 17 for specific groups. According to the guidelines, which was made public through its website, the national carrier said that passengers must check their eligibility for travel by the concerned countries and obtain the required permits and permissions, if needed. The airline noted that the conditions and guidelines are subject to frequent updating without prior notice. The passengers must also check the latest information about the conditions and guidelines required for travel from the official and authorized sources before traveling. Saudia also noted that passengers must obtain a PCR medical examination certificate from one of the accredited examination centers in the Kingdom. The countries that come under the travel guidelines are the following: the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kuwait, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Morocco, Spain, Iraq, Ethiopia, the Maldives, China, Switzerland, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Bangladesh, Greece, Jordan, Kenya, Turkey, Germany, Bahrain, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Nigeria, Tunisia, Oman and Mauritius. According to a recent statement of the Ministry of Interior, the following three categories of citizens will be allowed to avail of the decision to lift the suspension of travel outside the Kingdom. First: The citizens who received two doses of coronavirus vaccine or those who passed 14 days after taking the first dose of the vaccine as confirmed by the data displayed on the Tawakkalna Application. Second: Citizens who have recovered from coronavirus infection, provided that they have spent less than six months since their infection as confirmed by the data displayed on Tawakkalna App. Third: Citizens under the age of 18 years, provided that they submit before travel an insurance policy approved by the Saudi Central Bank, covering the risks of COVID-19 outside Saudi Arabia in accordance with the instructions announced by the relevant authorities. These people have to remain in home quarantine for a period of seven days after returning to the Kingdom and a PCR test shall be taken at the end of the quarantine period, while children under the age of eight years are exempted from the PCR test. The directives regarding this category of citizens are subject to amendment in line with the instructions of the Ministry of Health.
