Saudi Arabia to welcome vaccinated tourists from August 1


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Saudi Arabia will allow vaccinated tourists into the country without the need for quarantine from August 1.

Vaccinated tourists will have to provide an inoculation certificate on arrival and register their vaccine data on the designated portal "Muqeem", the Ministry of Tourism said.

The Saudi Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al Khatib, said the country was ready to welcome tourists again.

Travellers must have had two doses of vaccines approved by the kingdom, which include those produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Moderna.

Visitors to the kingdom are also required to register on the "Tawakkalna" app, which must be used to enter all public places, including offices.

“We focused our efforts during the downtime, in close co-operation with our partners in all sectors, to ensure a safe return through which visitors to the kingdom can enjoy exploring its tourist treasures, important destinations and landmarks, unique tourist experiences, and learn about the culture of generosity and hospitality that characterises the Saudi society,” Mr Al Khatib said.

Saudi Arabia launched tourist visas in September 2019 as it opened doors to foreign visitors other than pilgrims for the first time, under its Vision 2030.

The country issued 400,000 visas within six months before the borders were closed again because of the pandemic.

Saudi Arabia's UNESCO sites - in pictures

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

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Updated: July 30, 2021, 5:07 AM`