COVID-19: Escorts of Saudis allowed into kingdom

Saudi citizens are allowed into the country along with their foreign relatives and domestic workers via land crossings amid precautions against the new coronavirus, a media report said Tuesday.

The Saudi Directorate General of Passports has noted that citizens, wishing to return to the kingdom through the land crossings from neighbouring countries, have to present documents proving the foreign escorts’ relationship to secure advance permission before arrival by logging onto the Interior Ministry’s Abshar platform, Saudi newspaper Okaz said.

Saudi authorities have designated as a first phase four crossings including the King Fahd Causeway linking the kingdom and Bahrain. Remaining land crossings will be added in the next phase in coordination with the Interior Ministry’s National Information Centre, according to the report.

Non-Saudi escorts are required to present a certificate showing they have undergone the PCR coronavirus-detecting test and proved negative 48 hours at most before arrival.

The Saudi Directorate General of Passports has introduced the measure in line with related directives while complying with health preventive steps, Okaz said.