COVID-19: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar tightening travel curbs

COVID-19: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar tightening travel curbs

Dubai: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar have tightened travel curbs to contain the spread of COVID-19 variants. Kuwait has become the latest GCC country to tighten travel restrictions, banning unvaccinated citizens from travelling abroad as of August 1. The decision comes just a few hours after Saudi Arabia announced a three-year travel ban on citizens who travel to countries on the red list. The Saudi move follows reports about citizens travelling to the banned countries in violation of COVID-19 related travel restrictions and instructions issued by official authorities. The kingdom's red-list countries include the UAE, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, Turkey, Armenia, Ethiopia, Somalia, Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Belarus, India and Vietnam. Kuwait, however, exempted from the travel ban slapped on unvaccinated citizens children under 16 years and those with a health ministry certificate, saying they cannot be vaccinated, as well as pregnant women, who get a pregnancy proof certificate from authorities. Meanwhile, Oman is expected to announce new travel restrictions tomorrow (Thursday) when the Supreme Committee tackling COVID-19 meets to decide on the future course of action for preventing the spread of the pandemic in the Sultanate. Oman has already barred travellers from 23 countries from entering the