Riyadh:<\/strong> Saudi Arabia has suspended all arrivals of foreigners from 20 countries beginning on Wednesday over Covid-19-related precautions, state media reported quoting the Ministry of the Interior.<\/p>\n The ban will apply to including diplomats and medical workers also. However, Arab News<\/a> has reported about the exceptions to the ban for Saudi diplomats, and medical staff, and their families.<\/p>\n The Saudi Press Agency reported, “In accordance with the preventive and precautionary measures recommended by the health authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and as a part of its relentless efforts to control and prevent the spread of the Covid-19 as well as due to the importance of maintaining the epidemiological situation and public health in the country, the Ministry of Interior announced that a temporary suspension for entry to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been enforced.”<\/p>\n Countries listed in the statement included Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.<\/p>\n “The temporary suspension includes whoever comes from other countries if he\/she passed through any of the aforementioned countries during the 14 days preceding the request to enter the Kingdom,” the report read.<\/p>\n Flights to and from the Kingdom<\/a> were first suspended on March 14, 2020, two weeks after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the coronavirus outbreak was a pandemic. Entry to Saudi Arabia by air, land, and sea resumed on Jan. 3.<\/p>\n Saudi citizens, including diplomats and health practitioners, as well as their family members, will be able to travel back but will have to implement the country’s coronavirus-related health protocols<\/a>, according to the report.<\/p>\n