On Monday, vaccinated Saudi Arabians were allowed to leave Saudi Arabia for the first time in more than a year as the country eased international travel bans aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus and its new variants.

In the past 14 months, most Saudi citizens have been banned from traveling abroad due to concerns that international travel may exacerbate the virus outbreak in the country for more than 30 million people. The ban has been implemented since March 2020 and has affected Saudi Arabian students and others studying abroad.

However, in recent months, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has vaccinated nearly 11.5 million residents with at least one bite of the COVID-19 vaccine, making them eligible to leave the country under the new guidelines on Monday. The authorities will also allow people who have recently recovered from the virus and minors under the age of 18 to travel abroad through travel insurance.

Relaxation of regulations prompted Muslims to rush to Saudi Arabia after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Saudi Arabia said when traveling to the island country: “It’s really a beautiful feeling after leaving Bahrain for so long.”

Cleaning measures

Saudi travelers must demonstrate their health to airport officials through the government’s health app Tawakkalna. Travelers returning from abroad will be required to be isolated at home and tested for the virus.

The Kingdom has provided citizens and residents with coronavirus-related hospitalization and implemented some of the most comprehensive measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the early stages of the pandemic. These included closing mosques and businesses for several weeks at a time, which greatly reduced the pilgrimage to Mecca and restricted the borders to travelers.

On Monday, passengers flocked to Saudi Arabia’s airports to head abroad.

“We were confined in Saudi Arabia for about a year and a half, so we couldn’t believe that the ban was lifted and we could see the world.” Nawaf Askar (Nawaf), a Saudi from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was traveling with Bosnia and Herzegovina. al-Askar) said.

Other travelers are preparing to go abroad to continue their studies or leave due to long business trips. “We have been dreaming [of travelling] It’s been over a year…Thank God, the airport is open and we can escape,” said Saleh, a Riyadh resident.

However, the recent list of countries where direct or indirect travel is still restricted includes some high-risk countries such as Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Turkey and India.

However, according to local media reports, due to the relaxation of restrictions, Saudi Arabians will be able to pass through neighboring Bahrain again through the King Fahd Causeway from Monday. The small island nation legally sells alcoholic beverages under certain regulations and is a popular destination for Saudi residents and others seeking short vacations.

Saudi Arabia’s flagship airline, Saudi Arabia, will operate flights to 71 destinations, including 43 international destinations, starting Monday. Among them are Cairo, Sharm el-Sheikh, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Athens, Frankfurt, Washington and New York.

With few exceptions, foreigners from 20 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and France are still barred from entering the country.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Saudi Arabia has recorded more than 430,000 cases of the virus, including more than 7,160 deaths. Approximately 1,400 people are still in critical condition of the virus.

Although tourist visa holders to Saudi Arabia are still barred from entering the country, Saudi Arabia is still actively marketing its website to potential tourists.

At this week’s face-to-face Arab travel market show in Dubai, Saudi Arabia is actively promoting its Red Sea coastline and heritage sites such as the desert Al-Ula ruins and the Diriyah fort on the outskirts of Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia opened international tourism in September 2019, just a few months after the coronavirus outbreak.