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After the Covid-19 global blockade, Saudi Arabia eased border restrictions.
Saudi Arabia will reopen its borders to international tourists from August 1, 2021. Tourist visa holders who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to enter the country without isolation from August 1, 2021. Travelers need to provide evidence of a complete course of treatment for one of the four currently recognized vaccines: two doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or a single dose vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson.
Passengers who have completed two doses of Sinopharm or Kexing vaccination will be accepted if they are additionally vaccinated with one of the four vaccines approved by Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has opened a portal at https://muqeem.sa/#/vaccine-registration/home for tourists to register their vaccination status. The website is available in Arabic and English.
Passengers arriving in Saudi Arabia must also provide a negative PCR test performed within 72 hours before departure and an approved paper vaccination certificate certified by the official health authority of the issuing country.
For the convenience of travelers, Saudi Arabia has upgraded the country’s award-winning tracking app Tawakkalna, allowing temporary visitors to register with their passport details. Tawwakalna is needed to enter many public places in Saudi Arabia, including shopping malls, movie theaters, restaurants and entertainment venues.
The announcement came after Saudi Arabia’s international tourism was suspended for nearly 18 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Saudi Arabia launched the tourist e-visa program in September 2019.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), said: “Saudi Arabia looks forward to opening its doors and hearts to international tourists.” “During the government shutdown, we have been working with the public and private sectors. The partners are working closely to ensure that visitors to Saudi Arabia can bring unforgettable, authentic and most importantly safe experiences for themselves and their loved ones. Seek undeveloped heritage sites, authentic cultural experiences and breathtaking nature Tourists with beautiful scenery will be surprised and happy to find Saudi Arabia’s warm welcome.”
At the time of announcing the resumption of tourism, Saudi Arabia launched a seasonal summer event in 2021, bringing a large number of new attractions and activities to the country. The new activities are expected to tap the huge potential demand of the domestic and regional population, especially large-scale entertainment activities that are significantly affected by measures to control the spread of the coronavirus.
Despite the pandemic, 2020 is a breakthrough year for Saudi Arabia’s domestic tourism industry, as citizens and residents explore the country-many for the first time-to continue to develop activities and new developments before the international reopening. product.
Compared with the same period in 2019, the 2020 Saudi summer activities in hotels, restaurants, and entertainment and cultural activities have increased by 33%. The average hotel occupancy rate is close to 50%, and the highest occupancy rate in some destinations is almost 100%.
Saudi Arabia also launched its first leisure cruise service along the Red Sea on the Silver Spirit cruise ship in September 2020. As part of the summer, MSC Belissima will once again provide cruise services, and the MSC Belissima will operate in Jeddah during July and September.
A comprehensive set of health and safety protocols and nationwide testing for Covid-19 ensure that the growth of the tourism industry will not be accompanied by a surge in coronavirus cases. Saudi Arabia has recorded slightly more than 14,700 coronavirus cases per million people, which is lower than the global average of 25,153 cases per million people, and far lower than many traditional tourist hotspots in the world.
Saudi Arabia has successfully introduced the Covid-19 vaccine to all citizens and residents, and has received more than 25 million doses as of July 28. Now, more than half of Saudi citizens and residents have received the first shot, if five people received two shots.
All visitors will be required to observe the precautionary measures approved by the Ministry of Health, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing in public. Citizens from 49 countries are eligible for tourist visas, which can be obtained on the Saudi website. For the latest information on entry requirements, especially the latest information from countries/regions with variants of the new coronavirus, passengers should consult their carrier before booking.
— Business@khaleejtimes.com
Staff reporter
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