PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians are advised to temporarily suspend travel to Saudi Arabia for purposes of umrah (minor haj), visit and tourism, following its government’s move to temporarily suspend the entry of foreign nationals including from Malaysia, in the light of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Wisma Putra, in a statement today, said it was to avoid any complications after official confirmation of the matter was received from the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur today.
“The Saudi authorities are taking this step to prevent, control and eliminate the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak. The Saudi government has confirmed that these measures are temporary and subject to ongoing scrutiny by the authorities of the country,” the statement said.
According to Wisma Putra, the Saudi government had decided to take precautionary measures, including temporarily suspending the entry of foreigners into Saudi Arabia for umrah purposes and visits to the Nabawi Mosque.
“… also stopped are the entries into Saudi Arabia of visitors with tourist visas from countries infected with the Covid-19 outbreak, based on criteria set by Saudi health authorities.
According to the Saudi Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is one of the countries in question,” it said.
Wisma Putra said, it (Wisma Putra), the Malaysian Embassy in Riyadh and the Malaysian Consulate General in Jeddah, would continue to communicate with Saudi authorities to obtain a detailed explanation on the matter.
“Malaysians in Saudi Arabia who need consular assistance can contact the Malaysian Embassy in Riyadh and the Malaysian Consulate General in Jeddah,” it said. – Bernama
