SRINAGAR: Saudi Arabia has suspended travel by its citizens to Kenya, stopped issuing visas to Kenyan travellers and barred entry to people arriving from the East African country as part of additional precautionary measures against Ebola, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.
The entry restrictions also cover travellers transiting through other countries if they have visited Kenya or any other Ebola-affected country during the 21 days before their arrival in Saudi Arabia.
According to SPA, the measures were introduced following an assessment of the epidemiological situation by the kingdom’s health authorities. The suspension of visa issuance applies to all categories of visas for travellers from Kenya.
The latest restrictions form part of preventive measures introduced in 2019 and strengthened in May 2026 for people arriving from countries facing the risk of Ebola outbreaks, SPA reported.
In June 2026, Saudi Arabia also suspended travel to and arrivals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.
The kingdom has further reinforced precautionary arrangements for travellers from countries neighbouring Ebola-affected areas. These include health screening at entry points, epidemiological investigations and mechanisms for an early public health response.
The Saudi Public Health Authority, known as Weqaya, said the public health situation in the country remained reassuring and was under continuous monitoring.
The authority added that health officials were tracking epidemiological developments at regional and international levels and coordinating with relevant agencies to introduce preventive measures whenever necessary.
Ebola is a severe viral disease transmitted through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person. Its symptoms include fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, while severe cases can involve internal and external bleeding.
