Staff Report

Saudi Arabia on Saturday limited land crossings with the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain to commercial trucks only, with arrivals from the three countries temporarily limited to three airports as a precaution taken over the spread of the coronavirus, Saudi news agency SPA reported.

An official source at the Ministry of Interior stated that as per the recommendations of the health authorities, the government decided to temporarily restrict entry to the Kingdom for travellers from the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain to the airports only.

The three airports are King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, SPA added.

Only commercial trucks will be allowed entry to the country through land border crossings.

The ministry of health will take all the necessary precautions at the aforementioned airports and the procedures will also apply to the truck drivers and their companions.

“All those who wish to come to the Kingdom using a new visa or a pre-existing valid visa from any country where there is risk of the spread of the coronavirus as determined by the Saudi health authorities is required to present a PCR lab test certificate proving that the individual is coronavirus-free.

This applies to anyone who resided in those countries within a time frame of 14 days prior to entering the Kingdom,” SPA cited the official as saying.

“All airlines must ensure that the authenticity of the lab test and ensure that they were issued within 24 hours prior to the passenger boarding the plane.”

Earlier in the day, Kuwait suspended all flights to and from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Bangladesh, Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka for a week starting on Saturday, Kuwait’s civil aviation directorate said in a tweet.

Kuwait also banned the entry of anyone who has been in the seven countries in the last two weeks except for Kuwaitis coming from the seven countries, who will be allowed entry but will have to submit to quarantine procedures, the civil aviation directorate added.