<article><p class="lead">Saudi Arabia has scrapped most of its remaining Covid-19 restrictions on social distancing and mobility, and has lifted a ban on flights to and from 17 countries, following a steady drop in new cases. </p><p>As of 5 March, social distancing rules were removed in all indoor and outdoor venues and during events, although masks are still required in enclosed public spaces. The country has also eased Covid-19 travel requirements, with PCR and rapid antigen tests, as well as institutional and home quarantine, no longer required for people arriving in Saudi Arabia. </p><p>A ban on direct flights to and from a host of African and Asian countries has been lifted. These include flights to and from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Swaziland, which were banned in late November following the emergence of the more contagious Omicron variant, as well as flights to and from Malawi, Zambia, Madagascar, Angola, the Seychelles, Mauritius, Comoros, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Afghanistan.</p><p>The easing of Covid measures should provide a timely boost for transport fuel demand in the kingdom over the coming months, particularly ahead of the Islamic Hajj pilgrimage which is due to begin at the start of July. Saudi Arabia did not allow foreign pilgrims to enter the country during Hajj in <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2116916">2020</a> and in <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2224370">2021</a> due to the pandemic. </p><p>Saudi authorities have yet to announce instructions for this year's Hajj, but the stepwise easing of restrictions and significant fall in case numbers since the middle of January should facilitate a return to normal. Covid-19 cases averaged 398 a day on 1-5 March, down sharply from a daily average of 3,675 in the corresponding period in February and 1,849 in January. </p><p>Saudi Arabia's jet-kerosine demand stood at just 47,000 b/d in 2021, up by 9pc on 2020 but less than a half of the 103,000 b/d recorded in 2019 prior to the start of the pandemic, according to figures from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative. More than 2.4mn pilgrims performed Hajj in Saudi Arabia in 2019, of which 70pc travelled from abroad, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics.</p><p class="bylines">By Ieva Paldaviciute</p></article>
