RIYADH — Saudi Arabia on Saturday announced that land crossing with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait and Bahrain will be limited to commercial trucks only and arrivals from the three countries are temporarily restricted to entry through airports, as part of the Kingdom's efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus, Saudi press agency SPA reported. An official source at the Ministry of Interior stated that as per the recommendations of the health authorities in Saudi Arabia, the government has decided to temporarily restrict entry to the Kingdom for travelers from the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain to the following airports only: King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Only commercial trucks will be allowed entry to the country through land border crossings. The ministry of health will take all the necessary precautions at the aforementioned airports and the procedures will also apply to the truck drivers and their companions. "All those who wish to come to the Kingdom using a new visa or a pre-existing valid visa from any country where there is risk of the spread of the coronavirus as determined by the Saudi health authorities is required to present a PCR lab test certificate proving that the individual is coronavirus-free. This applies to anyone who resided in those countries within a time frame of 14 days prior to entering the Kingdom," SPA cited the official as saying. "All airlines must ensure the authenticity of the lab test and make sure that they were issued within 24 hours prior to the passenger boarding the plane." The source excluded from the previous procedures the humanitarian and social cases, based on the given data and facts of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Health. — SPA
