Saudi Arabia has finally approved the Chinese COVID-19 vaccines developed by Sinopharm and Sinovac.
In an official statement, the Saudi Health Ministry said that there are a total of six approved Coronavirus vaccines in the Kingdom: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.
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In case any other COVID-19 vaccine gets approval, it will be announced through the official channels approved by the Ministry of Health and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), the statement added.
The Saudi government is also considering recognizing the COVID-19 vaccination certificates of those who have been vaccinated with Sinopharm or Sinovac, provided that they have received a booster dose of one of the other approved vaccines in the Kingdom.
The move will help thousands of foreign workers who have received the said Chinese vaccines in their home countries to return to the Kingdom.
Recently, Saudi Arabia also allowed fully vaccinated residents to directly travel to the Kingdom from countries facing a travel ban, including Pakistan.
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The decision applies to only those foreigners who possess a valid residency permit (Iqama) and left the Kingdom on exit and re-entry visas after getting vaccinated against Coronavirus from Saudi Arabia.
Besides Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Lebanon face travel restrictions from Saudi Arabia.
