Saudi Arabia will re-functionalise its borders to tourists on Sunday for the first time in one-and-half years after imposing restrictions at the start of the pandemic to curb the spread of the Covid19.

Citizens of 49 mostly European countries, as well as the U.S. and China among others, will be allowed to enter the kingdom under the new rules without quarantine if they provide a negative PCR test before travel and have vaccine certificates proving two doses of the Oxford/Astra Zeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or a single dose of the vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson

Saudi Arabia is also looking to rebrand itself as a unique tourist destination for nature lovers and curious travellers as a way to boost non-oil revenue and create more jobs. Travelers vaccinated with the Chinese Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccine must have received a third dose of one of the other vaccines. Earlier this week, the Saudi Arabia warned that any citizen who travels to red-listed countries, such as the neighboring emirate of Dubai where the delta variant is present, could face a three-year travel ban.

Security Council Extends Mandate of UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus till 31 January

Afghanistan fighting escalates as Taliban tries to capture capital Herat city

Massive Flash floods kills 40 people in Nuristan province Afghanistan