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Saudi Arabia partially lifts travel ban

Saudi Arabia has lifted its suspension on international flights for certain travellers, but will only fully reopen its skies in January 2021.

Since September 15, 2020, certain categories of Saudi citizens and residents are allowed to travel, including public and military sector employees, diplomats and their families, those working for public or non-profit private sector jobs abroad, business travellers, patients who need treatment, those studying abroad, humanitarian cases, and sports teams, the state-owned Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reports. Gulf state citizens and non-Saudi residents with valid residency or visitors' visas may now also enter the country, conditional on proving they are COVID-19 negative. Saudis with proof of residence outside the Kingdom may also travel, and there would be a gradual move toward lifting the Umrah pilgrimage suspension.

The Kingdom would scrap all travel restrictions after January 1, 2021, with a specific date to be announced in December, SPA reports. Saudi Arabia suspended international flights six months ago to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and imposed stringent measures, including 24-hour curfews on most towns and cities.

Saudia...

Saudi Arabia to resume scheduled domestic flights

Saudi Arabia is set to resume scheduled domestic passenger flights from Sunday, May 31, onwards following a 71-day moratorium on commercial traffic.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said in a statement that the decision had been taken in concert with the kingdom's health authorities and that all necessary health precautions will be followed. i.e. middle seats will be left vacant.

To that end, in the interests of safety, the resumption will take a phased approach. In the first phase, 13 airports throughout the country will reopen to scheduled commercial traffic namely:

• Riyadh;
• Jeddah;
• Dammam;
• Madinah;
• Gassim;
• Abha;
• Tabuk;
• Jazan;
• Hail;
• Al Baha;
• Nejran;
• Arar;
• Jouf.

Local carriers including flynas, flyadeal, Saudia, Nesma Airlines (Saudi Arabia), and SaudiGulf Airlines have all signalled their respective plans to resume flight operations.

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