Saudi Arabia Suspends International Flights, Closes Borders Over Covid-19 Scare

Saudi Arabia has suspended all international commercial flights for a renewable week except for the foreign flights already in the kingdom, which will be allowed to leave. The state news agency SPA reported quoting an interior ministry source.

According to the media reports, the source added that land and seaports' entrance into the kingdom would also be suspended for a renewable week. These precautions come after the outbreak of the new variant of Covid-19 in many countries.

The Government has directed anybody who has arrived from or traveled through a European country for the past three months to be urgently tested for COVID-19.

The Ministry added that the suspension of flight did not impact the country's freight and supply chain flights.

These travel restrictions will be reviewed in compliance with the developments related to coronavirus.

As a result, Emirates Airlines also suspended all its scheduled flights to Saudi Arabia under the early Monday measurement. Several flights from many countries to Saudi Arabia have also been canceled.

Globally, after it had been marked on the high-risk list of countries infected by the second COVID-19 strain, Kuwait barred flights from the United Kingdom.

Moreover, many European countries have placed new travel bans and suspended flights from and to Britain in fear of the new strain of the virus.

The ban comes after the British Government has confirmed a new, more quickly spreading strain of the COVID-19 virus.