Saudi Arabia has resumed international flights and reopened its land and sea borders, a Saudi Press Agency report said quoting a Ministry of Interior statement.

The restrictions were imposed for a week from December 20,2020 and extended for another week to be ended January 3, 2021 following the emergence of a mutated variant of Covid-19 in a number of European countries.

The lifting of curbs, which is effective from 11 am on Sunday (January 3), comes amid some restrictions, said an Interior Ministry statement. They are:

1. Entry into the Kingdom for non-citizens coming from the UK and South Africa, as well as from any other country specified by the Ministry of Health, in which the new variant of the novel coronavirus (B. 1, 1, 7) is spread, will be allowed provided the traveller has spent at least 14 days outside the country in which the new coronavirus variant (B. 1, 1, 7) is spread before entering the Kingdom and comes with a PCR covid-free test report after the expiration of this period.
 

2. Citizens, who are allowed to enter into the Kingdom for humanitarian and urgent cases coming from countries where the new coronavirus variant has been reported, shall be quarantined in their homes under observance for 14 days, with two PCR examinations of the first shall be carried out after arrival within no more than 48 hours and the second before ending the quarantine on the 13th day.
 

3. Travellers coming from countries where the variant has been reported must quarantine at home under supervision for 7 days and take a PCR test on the sixth day from arrival.
 

4. Travellers coming from countries where the variant has not been detected, must self-isolate at home for 7 days or self-isolate at home for 3 days and take a PCR test.