As the increasing number of coronavirus outside china deepens fear of coronavirus, Saudi Arabia suspends entrance for the tourism and umrah pilgrimage. The kingdom introduced the latest tourism visa to more than 49 countries in October 2019, and the country welcomes millions of pilgrims across the year as it has two holiest Islamic sites in Makkah and Madina.
The minister of foreign affairs stated that the suspension was tentative, yet no time frame was provided for the expiry. There is no clarification regarding the hajj schedule whether it would be implemented that is due in late July.
Entry is also prohibited for the visit to the prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) mosque in Medina.
Though coronavirus is spreading to neighboring regions, no case has been reported in Saudi Arabia.
The ministry did not specify which countries would be affected by the deferral, but the authorities would identify which countries are worst affected and constitute a threat to the country.
The top tourism official of Saudi Arabia said 400,000 tourists were scheduled to visit the country, and the country is supposed to attract some 100 million visitors in 2030.
The COVID-19 cases have been identified in Brazil, Sweden, Pakistan, Norway, Greece, Romania, and Algeria.–Worldwide News