COVID-19: Saudi Arabia bans travel to and from 14 countries

An outbound travel ban on 14 countries will reduce medical tourism from Saudi Arabia to Dubai and other parts of the UAE.

An estimated 10,000 Saudi Arabians go overseas for medical treatment each year and Dubai has been taking business from traditional destinations in Europe.

The Kingdom’s government has decided to temporarily suspend the travel of citizens and residents to all these countries as well as suspending the entry of those coming from those countries, and those who were there during the 14 days prior to their arrival.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Saudi now stands at 15.

As a precautionary measure, Saudi Arabia has also decided to close all schools and universities across the kingdom indefinitely until further notice.

All flights and sea trips between UAE and the other countries on the list will remain suspended indefinitely until further notice.