Saudi Arabia suspended Umrah on Wednesday for citizens and residents due to fears of an outbreak of coronavirus, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
They were also barred from "visits to the Prophet's mosque in Medina", according to a foreign ministry tweet.
The decision was based on "upon the recommendation of the committee concerned with following developments of the virus," said the agency statement.
It said that all GCC nations must have passports to travel to Saudi Arabia so authorities can track where they have been.
The kingdom temporarily suspended entry to the country for foreign pilgrims to Makkah and Madinah last week as well as the cancellation of tourist visas from countries where the virus is a threat.
The move is part of the country's effort to support "the international community and organisations such as the World Health Organisation to halt the spread of virus," the state news agency said in a statement.
Saudi announced on Monday its first case of the virus, a national who was returning from Iran through Bahrain.
The news agency, citing the Health Ministry, said people who had interacted with the infected man had been isolated and were being tested.
Saudi's Minister of Health, Tawfiq Al Rabiah, said the man was in a stable condition and has been isolated in one of the hospitals in the kingdom.
"We conducted tests on 70 people who came into contact with the infected patient," Mr Al Rabiah said in a video.
The minister said that 51 people have tested negative for the virus and authorities are awaiting the result for the rest of the group.
"We will be monitoring them to ensure they do not develop symptoms of the virus," he said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
