Saudi bans citizens from travelling to Indonesia over Covid-19 concerns

Saudi Arabia has banned its citizens from travelling to Indonesia due to concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic in the Asian country.

An official source at the Ministry of Interior said on Wednesday, according to state-run Saudi Press Agency, that the decision was made to ensure the safety of the kingdom’s citizens and as a result of “the spread of a new mutated strain of the virus, and the health situation in the Republic of Indonesia.”

The travel ban is indefinite with the official adding that direct or indirect travel to Indonesia for Saudis will remain suspended “until the epidemiological situation in Indonesia is stabilized.”

#عاجل
مصدر مسؤول في #وزارة_الداخلية: منع سفر المواطنين المباشر أو غير المباشر إلى #إندونيسيا إلى حين استقرار الوضع الوبائي فيها.https://t.co/DqdwWkkiQn#واس_عام pic.twitter.com/6W60FNaZxe

— واس العام (@SPAregions) July 21, 2021

The Ministry called upon its citizens in Indonesia to exercise caution, stay away from areas witnessing the spread of the virus, and follow all precautionary measures. It also urged them to return at the earliest to the kingdom.

On Wednesday, Indonesia reported 33,772 new infections taking the total number of cases up to 2,983,830. It also reported 1,383 deaths over the preceding 24 hours as a result of the virus, taking the overall death toll in the country up to 77,583.

The latest surge in cases in Indonesia is reportedly due to the spread of the delta variant. Several other countries including Vietnam, South Korea and Japan have started intensifying efforts to ensure that their citizens are repatriated from Indonesia as well.

Apart from Saudi Arabia, other GCC countries area also taking steps to protect their citizens and residents from the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia. Starting from July 9, travellers from Indonesia were banned from entering Oman until further notice.

The UAE also indefinitely suspended the entry for travellers and transit passengers from Indonesia starting from Sunday, July 11, the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) confirmed earlier this month.

Read: Covid-19: UAE suspends entry of travellers from Indonesia, Afghanistan