Saudi Arabia to allow Umrah flights soon: ambassador

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday said that it will lift ban on flights for Umrah pilgrims as soon as the COVID-19 situation improves, ARY News reported.

Talking to Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan in Islamabad today, Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Maliki hailed the steps taken by Pakistan to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

On the occasion, Ghulam Sarwar Khan has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to further promote and strengthen bilateral relations with Riyadh.

He said that Pakistan will operate two flights per week to Saudi city of Abha, adding that this will further strengthen bilateral relations and promote tourism between the two countries.

Ghulam Sarwar termed the restoration of ties between Saudi Arabia and Qatar as a positive development for regional peace and security.

Read More: Saudi Arabia suspends int’l flights amid new strain of COVID-19

Earlier on December 21, Saudi Arabia had ‘temporarily’ suspended all international flights for one week amid a new strain of COVID-19 among a number of countries.

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) had issued the new directives to airline operators regarding the suspension of international flight operations, whereas, the country also suspended the entry through the land and seaports for one week.

Following the GACA’s directives, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had announced the cancellation of flights to and from Saudi Arabia.