All international flights suspended for two weeks, government agencies closed

IMPACT – HIGH

The Saudi Arabian government recently announced that beginning on March 15 all international flights are suspended for two weeks to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Key points:

• The two-week suspension of international flights will greatly disrupt travel to Saudi Arabia. There may a very small number of flights allowed as exceptional cases, but little information on this point is available at this time.
• The new restriction expands upon previous ones such as banning travel from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Egypt, and travel for religious reasons from other countries.
• Visitors currently in Saudi Arabia with expiring visas may be able to extend their stay for up 180 days after paying the fee. Contact your immigration provider to discuss options.

Analysis & Comments: Employers should account for affected travelers and rearrange travel schedules accordingly. Further, the closure of government agencies will affect immigration processes.

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