Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have activated a mutual health passport system in a move that is expected to boost trade and travel, official sources have said.
The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding in this regard in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Thursday, November 18, said the sources.
The signing of the MoU is also expected to lead to the integration of the health passport with the Saudi Tawakkalna and BeAware Bahrain apps.
The move will therefore reportedly facilitate the movement of passengers, whether they are citizens or residents, between the two countries through the King Fahd Causeway.
It is also expected to verify such passengers’ commitment to health conditions adopted as part of the two kingdoms’ efforts in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
Saudi Data and AI Authority President Abdullah bin Sharaf Al-Ghamdi and Bahrain’s Information and e-Government Authority CEO Mohammed Ali Al-Qaed signed the MoU in the presence of officials from both countries.
This cooperation apparently aims at ensuring the application of preventive and monitoring procedures.
Saudi Arabia has, throughout the pandemic, enacted strict regulations to control the spread of Covid-19 infections.
That included a three-year exit ban on anyone who it found to be breaking its travel guidelines.
Bahrain, on the other hand, has put up a Covid-19 fight that won plaudits from none other than the World Health Organization itself.
It has also unveiled a $1.2-billion stimulus package to help its businesses and industries recover from the aftershocks of the pandemic.