Coronavirus: Flights from US to Saudi Arabia set to resume
The Saudi embassy in Washington said flights from the US to the kingdom are set to resume on a daily basis after weeks of disruptions to air traffic amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Daily flights to Jeddah and the capital Riyadh will begin to take off this week from a number of US cities. Priority seats will be given to those with more compelling reasons for travel related to the coronavirus, according to the Saudi Gazette.
Saudi Arabia has begun the second phase of its evacuation of Saudi nationals from the US. This includes the repatriation of students abroad and Saudi citizens residing in the US.
The Saudi Ambassador to the US, Princess Rima Bint Bandar, made the announcement on Wednesday in a conference call with members of the Saudi embassy.
About 3,000 Saudis considered to be in a critical or emergency situations have already been returned from the US, according to the embassy.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
The move also comes despite travel restrictions put in place by the Trump administration to curb the spread of the disease.
Last month, President Donald Trump announced that immigration to the US would be suspended for 60 days in order to "protect American workers".
Trump also issued a travel ban on many European countries back in March.
The US is facing the world's worst coronavirus crises with more than 1,200,000 recorded cases and almost 73,000 deaths.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
