Saudi Arabia has issued a travel advisory to its citizens, urging them to avoid visiting 25 countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Syria, Nepal, Nigeria, and India.
The advisory, issued by the Saudi Department of Health, aims to protect citizens from various diseases such as polio, dengue, malaria, cholera, monkeypox, measles, and the ongoing threat of COVID-19.
Highlighting the potential health risks associated with infectious diseases in these countries, the directive advises citizens to refrain from travel, taking into consideration the healthcare systems’ capacity to handle such health crises. In a proactive measure to prevent the potential spread of these diseases within the kingdom, Saudi Arabia is implementing enhanced health checks for travelers arriving from the identified countries. This rigorous measure is designed to minimize the risk of epidemic outbreaks within the country.
The advisory aligns with Saudi Arabia’s stringent COVID-19 protocols observed during Hajj and Umrah, where only residents of Saudi Arabia were allowed to participate in these religious pilgrimages amid the ongoing pandemic.
