Saudi Arabia to link smart health passport with IATA for int'l passengers

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has decided to link health passports issued by the Tawakkalna application with the application of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to facilitate international passengers.

The Saudi Arabian authorities will link the health passport with the application of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as part of facilitating travel procedures for international passengers.

Tawakkalna application was designed by Saudi Arabia to issue health passports to those who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to Saudi Gazette, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) have signed the Operational Protocol agreement on Wednesday.

Under the memorandum of cooperation, the health passport in the Tawakkalna application will be linked with the IATA application.

The deal includes aspects related to facilitating travel procedures in accordance with the best international practices, accepting the health passport platform as an initiative to digitize health certificates from trusted sources and accredited laboratories in cooperation with airlines, in addition to cooperation on linking the Tawakkalna and IATA applications.

The SDAIA and GACA agreement aims to establish a general framework for areas of cooperation between the two parties.

It also includes contributing to facilitating travel procedures and verifying the eligibility of travellers on health grounds in accordance with the best international practices for civil aviation legislation to protect the rights of passengers and stakeholders.

The chairman SDAIA Dr Abdullah Al-Ghamdi said that the success of linking the health passport would contribute to supporting the efforts of government agencies in combating the coronavirus pandemic by easily identifying the health status of travellers and digitising travel procedures to and from Saudi Arabia.

GACA President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej said that the authority seeks to support the Tawakkalna system and enhance its cooperation with IATA to reach integrated digital solutions that encourage the restoration of air traffic to and from Saudi Arabia.

The authority also strives to help improve the customer experience at airports or using logistics services that include linking with other means of transportation, facilitating procedures to board and get down the plane, and covering an integrated and flexible journey for the customer.

Saudi Arabia is one of the first countries that has succeeded in linking a government platform to an international platform.