Pakistan welcomes Saudi step to allow direct travel from Pakistan

• Saudi Arabia has given a go-ahead to Pakistani passengers for direct travel.
• Pakistan embassy in Riyadh welcomes measure by Saudi authorities. 
• The countries that face COVID-related restrictions include India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Lebanon.

Pakistan welcomed the decision of the Saudi Arabia government to allow direct travel from Pakistan to the Kingdom.

Recently, Saudi Arabia eased COVID-19-related restrictions for fully vaccinated expats, allowing them to enter the Kingdom directly from countries with travel bans, such as Pakistan.

Turning to Twitter, the Pakistan embassy in Riyadh welcomed the development. "The Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh welcomes the decision of the Govt of the KSA to allow direct travel from Pakistan to KSA, for those having valid Saudi residency permits, and who have received 2 doses of Covid-19 vaccine inside KSA, before their departure from the Kingdom," said the embassy.

However, the new shift in KSA's coronavirus policy will apply only to the foreigners who have a valid residency permit (iqama) and left the Kingdom on an exit and re-entry visa after receiving two shots of a coronavirus vaccine from Saudi Arabia, according to the Saudi Gazette.

India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Lebanon are currently subject to a travel ban by KSA.

Saudi Arabia relaxed its restriction earlier this month when it granted conditional entry to travellers who had been fully vaccinated with China's Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines and those who had received a booster shot too.

“Guests who have completed two doses of the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines will be accepted if they have received an additional dose of one of the four vaccines approved in the Kingdom,” the KSA government said on its official visa website.

The Saudi health authorities have only approved AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson vaccines so far. All visitors arriving in the country are required to show proof of vaccination as well as a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to departure.

Saudi Arabia no longer requires a fully vaccinated passenger to quarantine.