Saudi Arabia reopens King Fahd Causeway link to Bahrain

Saudi Arabia reopened the King Fahd Causeway road linking the kingdom to Bahrain on Monday, May 17.

Ten new lanes have been added to the departure area, taking the total number of lanes up to 27, as well as 36 lanes in the arrival area, said Duwaihi Al-Sahli, director of King Fahd Causeway Passports, in a statement reported by state-run Saudi Press Agency.

The renovation project will see the bridge’s passenger capacity increase by 45 per cent.

King Fahd Causeway was opened in 1986, and today it is one of the busiest land border crossings in the Middle East with an estimated 390 million passengers having used the bridge since its opening.

The re-opening of the King Fahd Causeway will add billions of dollars to Bahrain’s economy as visitor levels return to pre-pandemic levels.

“Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have had longstanding tourism and trade ties, with trade between our two countries growing 43 per cent during the third quarter of 2020,” said Dr. Ali Al-Moulani, president of the Bahrain Economists Society, earlier this year.

Bahrain welcomed 11.1 million visitors last year, with 9.7 million (88 per cent) arriving via the King Fahd Causeway, according to tourism data for 2019.

The reopening of the Causeway is expected to eventually add around $2.9bn to Bahrain’s economy this year based on average tourist spending in 2019.

Read: King Fahd Causeway re-opening to add ‘billions’ to Bahrain economy

However, certain travel restrictions are still in place in both Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as a result of the pandemic.

Those travelling from Saudi Arabia must either be vaccinated or recently recovered from the Covid-19 virus, and the proof of this must be available on the Tawakkalna app. A coronavirus insurance certificate is required for those under the age of 18.

Passengers travelling from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia meanwhile will be required to use GCC-approved health apps confirming their status whether they have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19. Passengers will also need to provide PCR certificates confirming that they have tested negative for Covid-19, ensuring that the test result does not exceed 72 hours from the time of taking the sample.