Saudi Arabia has suspended travel by its citizens to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and South Sudan as part of precautionary measures to contain the spread of the Ebola virus. In addition, the Kingdom has stopped issuing all types of visas to individuals arriving from those three countries.
Crucially, the new restrictions also apply to travellers who transit through third countries but have spent time in any of the three affected nations within the 21 days prior to entering the Kingdom. This broadens the scope of the measures considerably, closing a potential gap in the Kingdom’s border health defences.
Health Authority Confirms Continuous Monitoring
The Saudi Public Health Authority (Weqaya) confirmed that the Kingdom’s health risk monitoring and response system continues to operate around the clock. Weqaya said it coordinates proactively with relevant national and international entities to safeguard public health for citizens, residents, and visitors, while also contributing to global health security.
Furthermore, the Kingdom had previously strengthened its precautionary measures for travellers arriving from countries neighbouring the outbreak zone. Those countries, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), now face enhanced health screening at points of entry, reinforced health monitoring, and the activation of early response mechanisms.
Reassuringly, Weqaya stated that the overall public health situation inside the Kingdom remains stable and continues to receive close monitoring. Since the Kingdom put its precautionary measures in place, authorities have recorded no confirmed or suspected Ebola cases on Saudi soil.
Weqaya emphasised that these steps form part of the Kingdom’s routine preventive framework. “These measures are routine preventive actions undertaken as part of the Kingdom’s ongoing commitment to protecting public health and preventing the spread of disease,” the authority stated.
