I was one among the first of those, who called for subjecting citizens to a coronavirus test before their return to the Kingdom from abroad. And that was when the mutated Omicron variant broke out in countries frequented by Saudis such as Britain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. But the decision in this regard had been delayed for several weeks.

And when it was issued, the benefits from it declined for several reasons, including that tens of thousands of citizens had already returned. Hence there was no longer an actual need for this, especially since the prevailing trend in many countries was to ease travel restrictions, and not tightening them!

In my opinion, rescinding the condition to have undergone a negative PCR test on return flights was a matter of time, especially with the decline in the number of cases of infection and the success of the health authorities’ efforts to bring down the curve of infections and their extraordinary capability in tackling the cases!

The decision-makers considered that the condition of PCR test before returning to the Kingdom is limited to the affected countries, while there was an exemption for citizens who return from the Gulf states as well as from countries whose health authorities have succeeded either in controlling the spread of infection or in applying effective and strict measures to stem the spread of the pandemic.

The responsible authorities have shown great effectiveness and flexibility in dealing with coronavirus. They have dealt with, in every turn, in a manner commensurate with its responsibilities, which has made the Kingdom one of the most successful countries in the world in dealing with the pandemic and withstanding its repercussions and epidemiological, health and economic effects. Such a responsible flexibility prompted me to write this article.