Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will bring back 200 Saudi citizens stranded in Indonesia as the country is witnessing an escalation in cases of COVID-19, local media reported on Sunday.
According to Essam Abed Al Thaqafi, Saudi Ambassador in Indonesia, two flights will bring back 200 stranded Saudis on July 26 and August 1.
“There are two citizens who are in critical condition after being infected with Delta variant of COVID-19,” he said.
Saudi Arabia on July 22 banned citizens from traveling to Indonesia directly or indirectly over COVID-19 concerns.
The Saudi ministry of interior said, in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), that the step comes on the basis of the government’s keenness on the safety of citizens.
The ministry called on citizens who are already in Indonesia to be careful, to stay away from areas experiencing the spread of the COVID-19, to adhere to precautionary measures, and to return to the Kingdom at the earliest opportunity.