PARIS, France - Saudi Arabia has lifted the requirement for its citizens to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before traveling outside the Kingdom, according to an official announcement by the Ministry of Interior on Thursday.
The decision was based on the recommendation of the health authorities, who reported a stable epidemiological situation at the local and global levels.
The ministry said that the competent authorities will continue to monitor the situation closely and take appropriate measures if needed.
Saudi Arabia has imposed a ban on international travel for its citizens in March 2020, as part of its efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The ban was partially lifted in May 2021, allowing only vaccinated, recovered, or immune citizens to travel abroad.
However, some citizens were unable to get vaccinated due to health reasons or other factors and faced difficulties in traveling outside the Kingdom for work, education, or personal reasons.
The latest decision by the ministry will ease the situation and allow them to travel abroad without taking immunization against COVID-19.
Saudi Arabia has been one of the leading countries in the world in terms of vaccination rates, having administrated more than 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to its population of about 34 million.
The Kingdom has also been praised for its effective management of the pandemic, which has resulted in low infection and mortality rates compared to other countries.
Saudi Arabia has recorded more than 550,000 cases and 8,700 deaths from COVID-19 since the outbreak of the disease in early 2020.
