Why has the Saudi government banned its citizens from traveling to Indonesia
Jakarta (ANTARA) - House of Representatives (DPR) member Nurul Arifin on Tuesday questioned the Saudi government's decision to ban its citizens from traveling to Indonesia.

"Why has the Saudi government banned its citizens from traveling to Indonesia?” she asked during a working meeting with the Foreign Ministry at the parliament building in Jakarta.

She also questioned the Saudi government's policy to restrict the number of Indonesians traveling to the Middle Eastern country.

"This is discriminatory treatment," she remarked.

In response, Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi said that she was yet to receive a reply from the Saudi government about why Indonesia is among the 16 countries where Saudi citizens have been banned from traveling.

"Shortly after learning the information (on the travel ban), we immediately met the Saudi ambassador to Indonesia, and I have directly contacted the Saudi Foreign Minister," Marsudi informed.

Related news: Saudi Arabia lifts entry ban from Indonesia starting on December 1

She said she wondered if the travel ban was related to the COVID-19 situation in Indonesia. However, the Foreign Ministry has notified the Saudi government of COVID-19 handling in Indonesia.

The minister said she believed Indonesia is one of the countries that have succeeded in handling the pandemic.

"The Saudi Foreign Minister plans to visit Indonesia early next month. This is a chance for us to discuss the issue," she added.

Saudi Arabia announced earlier that it has asked its citizens to avoid traveling to 16 countries, including Indonesia, India, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Vietnam, following another COVID-19 outbreak and a rapid surge in the number of daily infections.

However, out of the 16 countries, only the Democratic Republic of the Congo has shown a spike in cases.

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Translator: Fauzi, Suharto
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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