Thursday, February 27, 2020
Saudi Arabia temporarily suspends entry for Umrah Pilgrimage and Tourists over Coronavirus fears
Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended entry for Umrah pilgrimage or visiting the Madinah's Grand Mosque as well as tourists from traveling from other countries where Corona-virus poses a risk in an attempt to ensure public safety for stopping the spread of the virus.
The new steps and precautions are based on the recommendations of the health authorities to apply the highest precautionary standards to prevent the spread of the Corona-virus in the Kingdom said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its Twitter account.
- Saudi Tourist Visa holders from the countries where there is high risk of spreading Corona will as be denied entry into the Kingdom. Similar : Saudi Arabia aims for 100 million Tourists by 2030
- Visiting Madina's Grand Mosque often and before or after the completions of Umrah pilgrimage in Makkah has also been temporarily stopped.
- Moreover, Saudi citizens and GCC nationals will also be denied entries into Kingdom as they will not able to use national identity card to travel to and From Saudi Arabia for time being. Only Saudis who are returning home and GCC nationals who wants to return home will only allowed to travel using their national identity card. Recommend : Saudi Arabia bans travel to China and Iran after Coronavirus
- The new precautions come after a time, when there is a sharp increase in the number of corona-virus cases in the Middle East, Most of them are infected while traveling from China and Iran.
- Most of the countries suspended their flights and closed their border to the neighbor countries after the spread of Corona-virus is so fast in the Middle East. Six Saudi women in Bahrain and a Saudi man in Kuwait are infected with the virus reported Saudi health authorities.
- Saudi Arabia affirms these suspensions are temporary and will be resume after the green signal from the health authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The country is also supporting and working hard on stopping the spread of virus.
