This archive report was first published on 27 July 2019.
On July 24, 2019, Saudi Arabia made the decision to suspend issuing visas to people from the Democratic Republic of Congo due to the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
The decision was made in a letter from the Saudi foreign ministry to Congo's embassy in Riyadh, obtained by The Associated Press.
The letter cited the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision to declare the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo a global health emergency, which was made this month.
More than 1,700 people have died in the year-long outbreak, which has been a major concern for global health authorities.
The decision affects anyone coming from Congo, including non-citizens, and is aimed at protecting pilgrims and others.
Saudi Arabia had previously suspended visas during West Africa's Ebola outbreak a few years ago.
