Effective August 1, Saudi Arabia will ban entry to malls, sporting and entertainment events for the those who are not vaccinated against Covid-19.
The move comes as Abu Dhabi’s new restrictions requiring a green pass to enter malls, shops, parks, gyms and attractions came in to force Tuesday. Green passes on the AlHosn app show when the vaccination status turns green, although it may also be the case depending on an individual’s latest PCR test.
Proof of having taken at least one jab of the vaccine will be needed to access Saudi malls, announced Abdulrahman Al-Hussein, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce earlier this week, amid the kingdom’s continued efforts to control the spread of coronavirus.
Dressing rooms are to be reopened and customers will be allowed to use touchscreens again in shops, malls and commercial centres provided they are continuously disinfected, said Al-Hussien.
Mall visitors and employees will need to continue social distancing and events that could lead to crowding – such as inviting celebrities and advertisers, openings for shops and markets and launching events for products or services – continue to be prohibited.
Saudi’s authorities will continue to monitor and fine any violations of the restrictions, said Al-Hussien.
This comes shortly after the Hajj and Umrah Ministry announced it will only allow nationals and residents to attend the annual Hajj for the second year in a row to contain the spread of the coronavirus and its variants inside the kingdom.
It added that it would allow access to 60,000 pilgrims between the ages of 18 and 65 who have received the vaccine and do not suffer any chronic diseases.
In May, the kingdom set regulations requiring passengers arriving to the country to provide a vaccination certificate showing they have received an approved shot, including Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen.
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