Government | Sunday 29 March, 2020 6:18 am |

The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia sent out a nationwide alert on Saturday morning advising American expatriates looking to return to their country on what steps to take.

The alert informed that the US mission would be working with Saudi authorities to arrange repatriation flights on a commercial airline. The airline itself as well as flight times and departure/arrival locations have yet to be confirmed.

Those interested will need enroll themselves in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), a free service from the Bureau of Consular affairs, US Department of State, that allows US citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to register their trip.

The post went on to state that the embassy would inform all persons registered in the STEP system as soon as the flights were confirmed. The information would also be posted on the embassy website and on the official Twitter account of American Citizen Services, US Mission Saudi Arabia.

According to the mission website, citizens wishing to depart from Saudi Arabia on one of these flights would have to conduct all reservation and booking transactions directly with the airline and arrange for their own travel upon arriving in the United States.

The post also warned that the flights were likely to be announced with little advance notice. Citizens would have to decide whether they wished to depart Saudi Arabia if a commercial repatriation flight were to become available, bearing in mind that returning to the Kingdom would be unlikely until full commercial service was restored. 

The mission also cautioned potential travelers to consult the Center for Disease Control guidance on travel, consider health conditions at their final destination, and ensure that their travel documentation is in order and that they have funds to purchase tickets.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs issued a global level 4 health advisory on March 19 advising citizens to avoid all international travel and consider returning to their countries of residence using whatever commercial means available. The bureau also encouraged travelers to have a plan in place that did not rely on the US government for assistance.

Saudi Arabia had already begun to suspend international flights for two weeks on March 15 to slow down the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and has since suspended domestic flights, trains, buses and taxis starting on March 20.

A US citizen living in Riyadh, who identified himself as “Jack”, said he was willing to do “whatever it takes” to get back home to his parents, no matter the financial cost.

“I’m going to spend this time with them in person, not on the other side of the world where I cannot even hold their hands,” he said.

However, another citizen, who gave his name as “Shaun”, said that all things considered, he would rather be in Saudi Arabia than back home in the States.

“The way I see it, Saudi Arabia is doing a much better job of quarantining and protecting its citizens,” Shaun said. “Back in the States you can’t even get tested if you think you have it. And now there’s people saying that New York is the new epicenter of the virus. I’ll stay put, for my health and my family’s.”