Saudi Arabia suspends travel and visas for Kenya over Ebola fears
- Saudi Arabia has stopped its citizens from travelling to Kenya and is refusing entry to travellers from Kenya.
- The Kingdom also suspended all visa categories for Kenyan nationals after Kenya confirmed its first Ebola case on October 6.
- Kenya's case is linked to the outbreak in eastern DR Congo, which has recorded more than 8,000 cases.
Saudi Arabia has closed its doors to travellers from Kenya and stopped its own citizens from going there, as it tries to keep Ebola out of the Kingdom.
The country's Public Health Authority, known as Weqaya, announced the measures on Friday, 30 October 2026, after reviewing the health situation in Kenya.
Under the new rules, Kenyans cannot get any category of Saudi visa, and travellers arriving from Kenya will be turned back no matter how they travel. The same applies to people who passed through Kenya, or another Ebola-affected country, in the 21 days before reaching Saudi Arabia.
Why Kenya is on the list
Kenya recorded its first Ebola infection on 6 October. According to the reports, a Kenyan national who had returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) died in Nairobi.
Kenya is now the fourth country to record a case tied to the epidemic in eastern DRC. That outbreak has grown to more than 8,000 cases, making it the second largest Ebola outbreak on record.
Saudi Arabia has been tightening its rules for months. In May 2026 it strengthened checks on travellers from countries battling Ebola. In June it stopped citizens and residents from travelling to the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan.
The Kingdom has also added health screening at entry points, investigations and early response steps for arrivals from countries near affected areas.
Weqaya said the health situation inside Saudi Arabia is stable and being watched closely. The authority said it is following developments regionally and internationally with other agencies and will add more preventive steps if needed.
The United States has taken a similar line. Its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention barred foreign nationals who had visited the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.
What happens next
For now, Kenyans with Saudi visas, job offers or family plans should expect delays until Weqaya reviews the restrictions. The authority has not said how long the measures will last.
Nigerian travellers are not named in the new rules. But anyone who has been in Kenya or an Ebola-affected country within 21 days of arriving in Saudi Arabia will be refused entry, so transit routes through East Africa are worth checking before booking.
