Saudi Arabia lifts suspension of flights from six countries

Saudi Arabia has lifted the suspension of direct entry to the kingdom from six countries from today.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) confirmed in a statement people from Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Vietnam, Egypt and India are eligible to enter the kingdom without having to spend 14 days outside these countries.

GACA stressed to all air carriers the importance of implementing the following arrival procedures:

• Presenting a valid PCR certificate 72 hours before the flight
• Register on the Qdoom platform
• The application of an institutional quarantine procedures for a period of 5 days, regardless of the immunisation status outside the kingdom
• Adherence to taking a medical swab on the first and fifth days of the institutional quarantine

In addition, GACA affirmed the commitment to the implementation of all precautionary and preventive measures adopted in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman played down the likely fallout from the new coronavirus variant that pummeled oil markets last week.

Read: Saudi energy minister not concerned about new Covid variant

“I’m a very relaxed person. I’m not concerned,” the minister said when asked how the new strain may affect demand.