The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has issued a circular to airliners operating in all of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's airports regarding the prevention of direct, or indirect travel of citizens to a number of countries and the suspension of entry from them. This emanates from the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's keenness on the safety of citizens wishing to travel abroad, and in light of the continuing outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), and the spread of a new mutated strain of the virus. The circular stipulates obligating airliners not to transport citizens directly or indirectly, without obtaining prior permission from the concerned authorities to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, while continuing to prevent travel to the previously announced countries. GACA indicated that non-citizens from Ethiopia, the UAE, Vietnam, and Afghanistan are suspended from entering except for those who have stayed 14 days outside those four countries, as well as all previously announced countries. In its circular to the airliners operating in Saudi airports, including private aviation, GACA stressed suspending flights between the countries to which travel is prohibited, and applying institutional quarantine to all arrivals, including citizens, with the exception of citizens who are currently in any of those countries and those who will return before eleven o'clock in the evening on Sunday July 4. This does not apply to evacuating violators of residence regulations in the Kingdom and flights related to that.
