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Middle East – Ebola tests being considered for all foreign workers

27 November 2014

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are considering approving a strategy to tackle Ebola that would include testing all foreign workers, reports arabnews.com

The announcement was made yesterday by Tawfeek Ahmad Khoja, Director General of the GCC’s Health Ministers’ Council. Mr Khoja said the Council would discuss a wide range of topics and produce a proposed agenda for the conference hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh in February. 

The Saudi Ministry of Labour in September imposed a temporary ban on the recruitment of workers from the Ebola-affected countries of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. 

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Haj also stopped issuing Haj and Umrah pilgrimage visas to people from these countries in April. At present, Saudi Arabia only approves visas for workers who have undergone medical tests.