Saudi Arabia Threatens 3-Year Travel Ban for Citizens who Visit ‘Red List’ States

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Threatens 3-Year Travel Ban for Citizens who Visit ‘Red List’ States

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia will impose a three-year travel ban on citizens travelling to countries on the Kingdom’s “red list” under efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus and its new variants, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday.

It cited an unnamed interior ministry official as saying some Saudi citizens, who in May were allowed to travel abroad without prior permission from authorities for the first time since March 2020, had violated travel regulations.

“Anyone who is proven to be involved will be subject to legal accountability and heavy penalties upon their return, and will be banned from travel for three years,” the official said.

Saudi Arabia has banned travel to or transit at a number of countries including Afghanistan, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Pakistan, South Africa, Turkey, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates.

“The Ministry of Interior stresses that citizens are still banned from travelling directly or via another country to these states or any other that has yet to control the pandemic or where the new strains have spread,” the official said.

The Kingdom on Tuesday recorded 1,379 new COVID-19 infections, bringing its total to 520,774 cases and 8,189 deaths.

It saw daily infections fall from a peak above 4,000 in June 2020 to below the 100 mark in early January.



GCC Secretary General: Peaceful and Diplomatic Solutions Vital for Global Crises

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GCC logo
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GCC Secretary General: Peaceful and Diplomatic Solutions Vital for Global Crises

GCC logo
GCC logo

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi stated that the GCC states believe in the importance of peaceful and diplomatic solutions as an effective way to address regional and international issues and crises, including the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.

This statement came during a meeting between the GCC secretary general and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha today, on the sidelines of Albudaiwi's participation in the Dubrovnik Forum 2025 in Croatia, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

During the meeting, several topics were discussed, and relations between the GCC and Ukraine were reviewed. They explored ways to develop and enhance these relations to achieve desired objectives, within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides in November 2017 to promote, develop, and serve mutual interests.

The latest developments in the regional and international arenas and issues of common interest were also discussed, including the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.

Albudaiwi clarified that the GCC's position on this crisis is based on the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, preserving the international order based on respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, and the non-use of force or the threat of it.