Over 10,000 Saudi citizens traveled abroad in first 24 hours after flights resumed

A total of 10,452 Saudi Arabians traveled by air and land ports to international destinations in the first 24 hours after the Kingdom lifted its ban on citizens traveling abroad, the Ministry of Interior (MOI) said on Wednesday.

A total of 4,735 Saudi citizens traveled by air to international destinations on May 17-18, while the total number of citizens traveling by land from the Kingdom during the same time period was 5,717, MOI added.

In an infographic shared on Twitter, MOI stated that the top five destinations on May 17-18 for citizens traveling abroad by air were: the United Arab Emirates, with 1938 citizens traveling to it, Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The King Fahad Causeway, which links Saudi Arabia to Bahrain via land, saw 3,362 Saudi citizens on May 17-18, according to the ministry.

The Kingdom officially lifted its suspension on citizens traveling abroad and opened its land, sea, and air borders on May 17.

Saudi Arabians who have received two vaccination shots, or one shot at least two weeks prior to travel, those who have recovered from coronavirus within the last six months, and those who are under 18 years old are currently the only citizens allowed to travel.