Saudi Arabia has issued a notice to its citizens, advising against travel to 25 countries, among them Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Syria, Nepal, Nigeria, and India.
This advisory, as reported by local media, aims to safeguard Saudi citizens from various diseases, including polio, dengue, malaria, cholera, monkeypox, measles, and the ongoing threat of COVID-19.
The directive, released by the Saudi Department of Health, emphasizes the potential health risks posed by these infectious diseases. It cautions citizens to refrain from travel, considering the healthcare systems’ capabilities in these countries to manage such health crises.
In an effort to prevent the potential spread of these diseases within the kingdom, Saudi Arabia is intensifying health checks for travelers arriving from these identified countries. This stringent measure is intended to curtail the risk of any epidemic outbreak within the country.
This advisory follows Saudi Arabia’s stringent COVID-19 protocols during Hajj and Umrah, where only residents of Saudi Arabia were permitted to partake in these religious pilgrimages amid the pandemic.
