An official source at the Ministry of Interior announced today that receiving the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is a condition for Saudi citizens to travel abroad. The decision will come into force from 9 August, 2021. The source stated that this decision is based on preventive and precautionary measures recommended by the Ministry of Health and within the sustained efforts to control the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). It also comes in light of the spread of new variants of the virus, the low effectiveness of a single dose of the vaccine against those new variants and based on studies and scientific research, which show that receiving two doses will protect against complications of the virus variants. The ministry's statement excluded the following categories from the decision: First: Children under the age of 12, who will be required to obtain a valid health insurance policy, approved by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), to cover the risks of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Second: Individuals who recovered from the coronavirus, provided that they have spent less than six months from being infected with the virus. Third: Those who recovered from virus and received one dose of the vaccine.
