Saudi Arabia Nod for Bharat Biotech's Covaxin

The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia stated on Monday that the gulf kingdom has now added Bharat Biotech's Covaxin in its list of authorised COVID-19 vaccines, bringing a huge relief to lakhs of non-resident Indians (NRIs) on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

"Embassy is glad to report that Indian people vaccinated with 'Covaxin' are now permitted to visit the Kingdom," the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia posted on Twitter. Vaccine certificates must be published to both the Ministry of Health and the Muqeem websites for residents and tourists.

The WHO approved the Emergency Use Listing of Covaxin on November 3, 2021, stating that the Bharat Biotech vaccine has 78 percent efficacy against COVID-19 of any severity 14 or more days after the second dosage.Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm, Sinovac, and Covaxin are among the vaccines authorised in Saudi Arabia.

Several nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Oman, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Australia, have recently recognised Covaxin.  Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced on Tuesday, December 15, 2021, that foreign pilgrims aged 12 and above will be able to visit the Kingdom and undertake Umrah.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah declared on December 2, 2021 that overseas Umrah pilgrims who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccinations approved in the Kingdom are exempt from the institutional quarantine. The kingdom removed the 50-year age limit for international pilgrims undertaking Umrah on November 27, 2021.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah launched a service on November 13 that allows abroad Umrah pilgrims to receive permission to conduct the rituals in Mecca's Grand Mosque. After enrolling on the Qudum platform, pilgrims will be able to pay their respects to Prophet Mohammed in Medina using the health apps Eatmarna and Tawakkalna.

As part of efforts to minimise COVID-19 spread, the temporary prohibition on Umrah pilgrims was withdrawn and the service resumed on November 1, 2020. Overseas pilgrims were only allowed to stay for 10 days. The Saudi Arabia interior ministry removed COVID-19 restrictions on October 17 owing to a significant decrease in COVID-19 cases and a significant advancement in vaccines throughout the Kingdom.

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