JEDDAH: A royal decree has been issued allowing Saudis married to non-Saudis to travel with their spouse or join them abroad in case they reside outside the Kingdom due to work or otherwise, the Saudi General Directorate of Passports announced on Wednesday.
Saudi travelers must present a copy of their marriage certificate to officials at departure points.
This comes in implementation of the government’s directives on procedures for Saudis traveling to and from the Kingdom during the suspension of international flight due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The directorate said that in case a Saudi husband cannot provide documents that prove his wife’s presence outside the Kingdom and her inability to come to Saudi Arabia, he can apply for a travel permit through the “Absher” platform and attach all the required documents, to facilitate the procedures for obtaining the permit.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia reported five COVID-19-related deaths on Wednesday. The death toll now stands at 6,475.
The Ministry of Health reported 353 new cases, meaning that 376,021 people have now contracted the disease. A total of 2,531 cases remain active; 483 are in a critical condition.
According to the Ministry, 186 of the newly recorded cases were in Riyadh, 67 in the Eastern Province, 43 in Makkah, and ten in Madinah.
In addition, 280 patients had recovered from the disease, bringing the total to 367,015 recoveries.
Saudi Arabia has so far conducted 13,463,804 PCR tests, with 45,388 carried out in the past 24 hours.
Saudis and expats in the Kingdom continue to receive their doses of the coronavirus vaccine, which they registered for through the Ministry of Health’s Sehhaty app.
The number of those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine has reached 600,798 people so far.
Saudi health clinics set up by the ministry as testing hubs or treatment centers have helped hundreds of thousands of people around the Kingdom since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Among those testing hubs are Taakad (make sure) centers and Tetamman (rest assured) clinics.
Taakad centers provide COVID-19 testing for those who have no symptoms, or mild symptoms, or believe they have come into contact with an infected individual, while the Tetamman clinics offer treatment and advice to those with virus symptoms such as fever, loss of taste and smell, and breathing difficulties.
Appointments to either services can also be made through the ministry’s Sehhaty app.
Health and medical consultations continue to be provided to people round the clock through the ministry’s 937 call center.
