Author: Louise Pieterse
Last update: September 13th, 2021.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the latest country to enforce a COVID certificate mandate for access to non-essential services.
The Saudi Arabian COVID certificate, the Tawakkalna app, is being used across the country to limit access to services for unvaccinated residents in an attempt to promote vaccinations.
How do vaccine passports work in Saudi Arabia?
The Tawakkalna app is the official app used in Saudi Arabia for COVID-related information and has been downloaded more than 20 million times.
What started as an app to manage permits during the curfew has now escalated to a full-blown one-stop-shop for all government services.
The Tawakkalna app includes information about services like health, education, Hajj and Umrah, permits, previews of driving licenses, insurance, and passports.
As for COVID-19 purposes, the app is used to make vaccination appointments, store vaccination information, book tests and show test results. “Caution Mode” alerts the user if they have been in close contact with a COVID-positive individual.
Current local COVID restrictions in Saudi Arabia
On August 1st, strict COVID restrictions were set in Saudi Arabia.
COVID vaccination is now mandatory for access to public commercial spaces like malls, shopping centers, retail stores, and markets.
The Saudi Arabian vaccine mandate also applies to restaurants, cafés, and beauty salons.
Furthermore, all school staff and students above 12 years of age will also need to be vaccinated to return to school, presenting their COVID certificate on the Tawakkalna app.
Since August 1st, COVID vaccination is mandatory to return to the workplace in Saudi Arabia. A person must prove their vaccination status, recovery status, or prove they are medically unfit to get vaccinated.
If a person is not vaccinated they will need to work remotely or be put on annual leave if their job cannot be done remotely. They will then be put on unpaid leave for 20 days, after which they could face suspension, a fine, or even be laid off.
Current COVID travel restrictions in Saudi Arabia
The assistant deputy minister of Haj and Umrah, Eng. Hisham Saeed confirmed that travelers from across the world are allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia once more to perform Umrah (the pilgrimage to Mecca).
“The ministry is keen on the quality of services provided by Saudi Umrah companies to pilgrims and the application of all precautions in terms of housing, transportation, and grouping of pilgrims within the time frame for reservation of appointment for performing Umrah and prayers at the Grand Mosque,” he said.
Which COVID certificates are accepted in Saudi Arabia?
The Saudi Arabian COVID pass app is also compatible with the IATA Travel Pass, making entrance to foreign visitors possible.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s acceptance of IATA Travel Pass will demonstrate how digital solutions can effectively manage both COVID-19 vaccine and test certificates,” said IATA’s director-general, Willie Walsh.
“The trust that the KSA has placed in IATA Travel Pass is an example for other governments to follow,” said Walsh.
Is it safe to travel to Saudi Arabia now?
According to Our World in Data, Saudi Arabia had two waves of COVID-19: the main one in spring and summer 2020, and the second one in spring and summer 2021.
Saudi Arabia has lost 8610 people to COVID-19, and has had about 546.000 total cases.
As for the vaccination process, almost half of all Saudi citizens are now fully vaccinated. Over 39.700.000 doses have been administered.
This makes Saudi Arabia a relatively safe country to travel at this moment in the COVID-19 pandemic. However, all non-essential travel is discouraged during this time.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia has some of the strictest COVID-19 regulations in the world for unvaccinated people.
As a general rule, travelers should always check up on the latest COVID-19 information available from their destination country before making any plans.