Saudi Arabia Launches ‘Health Passport’

Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah reveals the 'health passport' service. (SPA)
Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah reveals the 'health passport' service. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Launches ‘Health Passport’

Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah reveals the 'health passport' service. (SPA)
Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah reveals the 'health passport' service. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia launched on Thursday the “health passport” service through the Tawakkalna app.

The app was approved by the Saudi Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The service confirms that an individual has received all doses of the virus vaccine and was therefore “immune” from it.

The move is a significant step by Saudi authorities in protecting lives, said Health Minister spokesman Dr. Mohammed Abdelali.

Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and head of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi oversaw the launch of the service.

Al-Rabiah received on Thursday the second jab of the vaccine, hailing the keenness of the Saudi leadership in providing the shots in the Kingdom and its people and residents in record time.

This has made Saudi Arabia among the top countries in fighting the pandemic, he stressed.

Work is underway to open more vaccination stations so that they will be available throughout the country, he revealed.

Over 137,000 people have received the vaccine. Over a million people are registered to receive the shot during the first phase of inoculation.

Saudi Arabia reported on Thursday 108 new infections, taking its total to 363,485. It confirmed 138 more recoveries and six new deaths.



Trump Heads on ‘Historic’ Gulf Tour

Saudi and US flags flutter on a main road in Riyadh on May 12, 2025, ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump this week. (AFP)
Saudi and US flags flutter on a main road in Riyadh on May 12, 2025, ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump this week. (AFP)
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Trump Heads on ‘Historic’ Gulf Tour

Saudi and US flags flutter on a main road in Riyadh on May 12, 2025, ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump this week. (AFP)
Saudi and US flags flutter on a main road in Riyadh on May 12, 2025, ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump this week. (AFP)

US President Donald Trump on Monday left for Saudi Arabia on what he called a "historic" tour of the Middle East that will mix urgent diplomacy on Gaza and Iran with huge business deals.

Air Force One took off on a journey that starts in Saudi Arabia and includes stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates -- and possibly talks in Türkiye on the Ukraine war.

Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza will hang heavy over the first major tour of Trump's second term -- but in one sign of progress, US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander was handed over to the Red Cross just as the president boarded his plane.

"It's big news," Trump said at the White House shortly before departing. "He's coming home to his parents, which is really great news. They thought he was dead."

Trump has in recent weeks seemed to cool on his efforts to end the Gaza war -- despite boasting before taking office that he would be able to bring the conflict to a swift end.

Trump said there were "very good things happening" on talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear ambitions -- though he added that Iran "can't have a nuclear weapon."

The US president said that he hoped for more developments on Gaza during his trip to the Gulf, noting that his tour involved "three primary countries" in the region.

Riyadh will host on Wednesday a Gulf-American summit as Trump visits the region.

The summit will bring together the US president with his counterparts from the Arab Gulf.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz sent on Sunday invitations to the leaders of Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman to attend the summit.