Pakistan-Saudi Arab flights to resume soon: ambassador

RIYADH: Pakistan’s Ambassador in Riyadh Lt Gen (retd) Bilal Akbar said on Wednesday that Pakistan-Saudi Arab flights would resume soon to bring Pakistani workers back to the Kingdom.

He said the embassy is in contact with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for resumption of flights.

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The ambassador said applications of about 7,000 illegal Pakistani immigrants have been submitted to Saudi authorities for their repatriation. Once these people are cleared, more applications will be submitted, he added.

On June 4, Saudi Arabia’s human resources and social development ministry announced an exemption of several categories of employees in both public and private sectors from attending the workplace as part of precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19.

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According to the new exemptions, employees above 60 years and patients of chronic ailments including especially those having suffered a heart disorder at least once over the past year are allowed to claim remote-working relaxation.

The list also includes patients of chronic pulmonary diseases, severe asthma, or hereditary immune deficiency including thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia.

Other categories to have been exempted from attending offices consist of patients of acquired immune deficiency, obesity, chronic diseases like diabetes of types 1 and 2 (who have been hospitalized at least once during the past six months) high blood pressure, chronic renal diseases and liver cirrhosis.