Saudia Starts Flight Operations to the Maldives

The national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, Saudia started flight operations to the Maldives on 20th May 2021. According to Velana International Airport, the airline will operate four weekly flights to the tropical holiday destination.

Earlier Saudia Airlines issued travel guidelines for 38 countries including the Maldives. The borders of Saudi Arabia is open for vaccinated citizens. Before departure, Saudia requires travellers to take a PCR certificate from an accredited screening centre in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Upon returning to the kingdom, travellers must also quarantine for 7 days at home. Moreover, at the end of the week, they must take a PCR test.

Saudi Arabia lifted the suspension of its citizens to travel abroad on 17th May 2021. According to Reuters, citizens of the Kingdom who received two shots of the vaccine (or one shot at least two weeks before travel), recovered from COVID-19 within the last 6 months and the citizens under 18 are allowed to travel.

Also read: Maldives Records Over 400,000 Tourist Arrivals in 2021

Saudi Arabia and the Maldives maintain close bilateral relations. The kingdom has supported the island nation in several project developments and infrastructure projects, including Velana International Airport’s development.

A total of 30 airlines are operating flights to the Maldives as of 23rd May 2021. Major airlines including Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad Airways started operations to the tropical holiday destination in the early days when the country reopened its borders.

According to the latest statistics from the Maldives’ Ministry of Tourism, 437,995 tourists have arrived in the island archipelago between 1st January 2021 and 21st May 2021. This is an increase of 14.4% compared to the same period of 2020.

The Maldives aims to welcome over 1.5 million tourists in 2021. Furthermore, it has been projected Maldives’ GDP will grow by 17.1% in 2021 and 11.5% in 2022 thanks to tourism.

Feature image by Velana International Airport

Although we do not expect heroic stories to come out of a vacation at a Maldives resort, recent incidents have shown that anything can happen. Yes, even when you’re on vacation. The heroic stories of two couples, Mr. Jordan Daniel Van Dyk and Ms. Denielle De Bruyn have started circulating across the Maldives. The couple came to the Maldives for their honeymoon at the beautiful Dusit Thani Maldives. However, it appears that the honeymooners are leaving the Maldives with more than just honeymoon memories.

According to the Baa Atoll Police Station, on the 28th of April, the couple witnessed a staff member falling from a water villa deck into the ocean while on duty. If you’re ever stayed at a Maldives resort, you can understand the fear of falling from the deck into the ocean. Although the water below is beautiful, when caught off guard, the ocean can be a scary place. It appeared that the staff member was in a state of distress and was struggling in the water. In these situations, people do one of two things. Wait for someone else to take action as they stand by, or immediately jump in to avoid a sad situation.

Despite the challenging circumstances, Mr. Van Dyk and Ms. De Bruyn acted swiftly and courageously, coming to the aid of the drowning staff member. There is no doubt that this swift response by the couple was heroic, averting what could have been a tragic event at Dusit Thani Maldives.

Dusit Thani Maldives has acknowledged the bravery and swift action of the honeymooning couple, awarding them for their bravery in saving the staff member of the resort.

Saudia Starts Flight Operations to the Maldives

Also read: Maldives Records Over 400,000 Tourist Arrivals in 2021

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