Saudi Arabia: Covid-19 vaccinations are mandatory for work attendance

The new directive will apply to all workers in the private, public and non-profit sectors

Saudi Arabia's capital city, Riyadh. Bloomberg

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development said on Friday that all employees working in the public, private and non-profit sectors must be vaccinated before they can return to the workplace.

The ministry urged employees to register on the Sehhaty app for vaccines, to curb the spread of the virus and to ensure a safer work environment for all.

“As soon as I heard the news, I registered for my vaccination on Sehhaty. My manager sent us all a reminder to do so or else we won’t be allowed to go back to work,” said Zaynab Abdullah, a teacher living in the kingdom.

More than 10 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered in the country, according to the Saudi Health Ministry.

Saudi Arabia has continued to deliver vaccines despite an unexpected disruption to global supply chains, which has led to delays across 587 vaccine centres in the country.

“Receiving a coronavirus vaccine will be a mandatory condition for male and female workers to attend workplaces in all sectors (public, private, non-profit),” the ministry said.

The date on which it will come into effect will be announced soon, the ministry said.

It stressed the importance of observing safety measures.

Thirteen deaths and 1,039 new infections were reported on Friday, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 424,445 cases and 7,045 fatalities, with 407,650 recoveries to date.