Saudi Arabia suspends travel to 3 African countries, halts visas over Ebola outbreak

The Kingdom tightened precautionary measures for travelers arriving from countries neighboring the outbreak zones.

Saudi Arabia has suspended citizens' travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, and halted the issuance of all visas and entry for travelers arriving from those countries as a precaution against the Ebola outbreak.

The decision also includes those who transited through other nations after staying in any of the three countries during the previous 21 days, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The measures follow a health risk assessment by Saudi authorities and build on precautionary steps introduced since July 2019 and tightened in May 2026 for travelers from neighboring outbreak areas.

The Kingdom tightened precautionary measures for travelers arriving from countries neighboring the outbreak zones—namely Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville)—by enhancing screening procedures at points of entry, health monitoring, and early health response mechanisms.

Saudi Arabia said no confirmed or suspected Ebola cases have been recorded in the Kingdom since the measures were implemented, adding that surveillance and response systems remain on high alert while authorities continue monitoring the situation and updating preventive measures as needed.