Saudi Arabia is not accepting China’s vaccination certificates. This has not only increased trouble for Chinese vaccines but also raised tensions for Pakistani people traveling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.
According to reports, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said that PM Imran Khan was personally looking into the issue of the Sinopharm vaccine’s non-acceptance in Saudi Arabia and other nations in the Middle East.
According to TribunePakistan, Rashid’s remarks came during a press conference in Islamabad where he praised the vaccines and said “Sinopharm is a great vaccine and I salute the Chinese’ cooperation in this regard.”
Saudi Arabia has not recognized vaccines made in China i.e. Sinopharm and Sinovac despite the approval of WHO. However, Saudi Arabia has reportedly approved Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
Earlier, the provincial government of Sindh issued a clarification, reversing its earlier statement about the Saudi envoy’s promise regarding the approval of Chinese vaccines to its list of approved vaccines for visitors to Saudi Arabia.
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s minister Asad Umar stated that people who want to go for Hajj or studies or visit places where Chinese vaccines are not recognized will be given priority in being given a dose of Pfizer vaccines.
