Riyadh: Saudi Arabia is the second West Asian country, after the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to which the Indian government has permitted doctors and healthcare professionals to travel to support efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. The Indian government has facilitated the travel of 835 healthcare professionals to Saudi Arabia following a request from Riyadh last year. Not only this but the Serum Institute of India (SII) has also supplied Saudi Arabia with 3 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses but Saudi Arabia has taken an unexpected move and suspended the entry of people from 20 countries including ‘India’ on Tuesday, with the exception of diplomats, Saudi citizens, medical professionals, in a bid to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The suspension which begins from Wednesday includes travellers who transited through the banned countries within the 14 days prior to their journey to the country, The News International reported.
The source added that the citizens, diplomats, health practitioners and their families coming from the aforementioned countries or those who transited any of those countries during the 14 days preceding their return to the Kingdom will enter the Kingdom in accordance with the precautionary measures imposed by the Ministry of Health,” Al Arabiya quoted the Saudi Press Agency.
The temporary ban, effective from today, includes people arriving from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), India, Germany, the United States (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), South Africa, France, Egypt, Lebanon, Pakistan, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey.