Riyadh, July 3, 2021, SPA -- An official source in the Ministry of Interior announced that based on keenness of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s government on the safety of citizens wishing to travel abroad, and in light of the ongoing outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) and the spread of a new mutated strain of the virus, the following has been decided: 1 - Banning citizens from traveling directly or indirectly, without obtaining prior permission from the concerned authorities to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Suspending citizens' direct or indirect travel to the previously declared countries will continue. It was also decided to suspend entry from the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Vietnam Socialism, in addition to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, except for non-citizens who stayed 14 days outside those four countries, as well as all the previously announced countries. 2- Suspending flights with countries where travel is prohibited, with subjecting all those, citizens and others coming from them to institutional quarantine. 3- As for citizens, currently visiting any of those countries, who will return before 11 p.m., on Sunday, July 4, 2021, are excluded without any effect regarding the evacuation of violators of residency laws from the Kingdom and related flights. 4 - The suspension of flights will take effect from 11 p.m., on Sunday July 4, 2021. The Ministry of Interior calls upon citizens wishing to travel to the countries to which travel is permitted to be careful, stay away from areas where the virus is spreading, and follow up all precautionary measures, regardless of their destination. --SPA 02:34 LOCAL TIME 23:34 GMT 0003 www.spa.gov.sa/w1579902