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Saudi Arabia Temporarily Suspends Entry for Umrah Pilgrimage, Tourism

Kuwaitis coming back from Iran wait at Sheikh Saad Airport in Kuwait City, on February 22, 2020, before being taken to a hospital to be tested for coronavirus. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
Kuwaitis coming back from Iran wait at Sheikh Saad Airport in Kuwait City, on February 22, 2020, before being taken to a hospital to be tested for coronavirus. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
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Saudi Arabia Temporarily Suspends Entry for Umrah Pilgrimage, Tourism

Kuwaitis coming back from Iran wait at Sheikh Saad Airport in Kuwait City, on February 22, 2020, before being taken to a hospital to be tested for coronavirus. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
Kuwaitis coming back from Iran wait at Sheikh Saad Airport in Kuwait City, on February 22, 2020, before being taken to a hospital to be tested for coronavirus. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)

Saudi Arabia on Thursday suspended visas for visits to Islam's holiest sites for the "umrah" pilgrimage, as part of measures to stop the spread of the noval coronavirus.

"The Kingdom's government has decided to take the following precautions: suspending entry to the Kingdom for the purpose of umrah and visit to the Prophet's mosque temporarily," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Suspending entry into the Kingdom with tourist visas for those coming from countries, in which the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) is a danger,” it said.

Saudi Arabia has had no cases of the coronavirus but it has been spreading in some neighboring countries.

The virus first appeared in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December.

“Saudi Arabia renews its support for all international measures to limit the spread of this virus, and urges its citizens to exercise caution before traveling to countries experiencing coronavirus outbreaks,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in its statement.

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Saudi FM Warns against Gaza War Spillover in the Region

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah takes part in the panel discussion. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah takes part in the panel discussion. (SPA)
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Saudi FM Warns against Gaza War Spillover in the Region

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah takes part in the panel discussion. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah takes part in the panel discussion. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah warned on Thursday that the situation in the Gaza Strip does not only affect the Palestinians alone, but the entire region and is leading to more tensions, most notably in southern Lebanon.

He made his remarks at a panel discussion at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in Madrid.

Held under the title "Wars and Shadow Wars: What are Europe's Options in the Middle East?", the discussion tackled the latest developments in Gaza and the importance of continuing international efforts to reach an immediately ceasefire and allow more humanitarian aid to enter.

Prince Faisal stressed the importance of continuing the work to reach an immediate ceasefire, noting that the majority of the international community agrees that the lasting and just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the two-state solution.

However, they stand idly by against issues that may undermine the two-state solution, such as Israel's continued settlement expansion.

He explained that what European countries, including Spain, are doing to support the peace process and push towards the two-state solution is very important.

The least the European countries can do is condemn Israel's failure to abide by its commitments and then take stricter steps such as imposing sanctions on some officials who violate human rights, he added.

The Palestinian people have the full right to self-determination, and they deserve an independent state recognized internationally, he went on to say.

On Yemen, Prince Faisal underscored the continued support for political dialogue, warning that the situation in the country is still difficult, especially on the economic level.