Yusri Zakariya Omar of Al-Fowzan Tourism Company said airlines have cut the number of flights between the two countries, especially in the evening hours, because of a curfew from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. He, however, pointed out that flights to Cairo were less affected compared to flights to Alexandria. He said many Saudis had canceled their travel plans to Egypt due to the present political crisis in that country.

A number of Egyptian families travel home at this time of the year to spend the mid-year school vacation with relatives in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez. But according to Omar, many of them have canceled their travel plans.

Omar also reported a considerable decrease in travel by sea and land to Egypt. “Many Egyptian workers who went on vacation are held up in their country because they cannot get flights back to the Kingdom. Some of them wanted to stay on for a few more days to protect their families and properties,” he added.

Aamir Al-Shahri, president of the Saudi Students Club in Egypt, said most Saudi students left the country soon after the start of anti-government demonstrations. The Saudi Embassy had made arrangements for the quick evacuation of Saudis in coordination with Saudi Arabian Airlines. “Some students left Egypt before the crisis, soon after their first semester examinations were over,” Al-Shahri told Arab News.

Ali Hassan, chairman of Arab Tourism Transport Committee in the Arab League, said the crisis had affected the flow of tourists from Saudi Arabia to Egyptian tourist destinations such as Cairo, Alexandria and Sharm El-Sheikh. He estimated the fall in tourist movement at 50 percent.

Meanwhile, a number of Egyptians who wanted to spend their holidays in their country are now thinking of changing their travel plans. Muhammad Ezzuddin, a pharmacist, said he has decided to spend his annual vacation inside the Kingdom, visiting Makkah and Madinah.

“I am afraid of going to Egypt this time as things would become worse in the coming days and would find it difficult to catch return flights,” he said.

Hadi Al-Rouki, a computer programmer, has another plan. He will spend the vacation in Malaysia. “I am not the only person thinking this way. Many Egyptians have decided to visit Malaysia this time,” he said.

Several Saudis who were previously planning to visit Egypt have changed their plans and are now going to either Malaysia or Indonesia or Turkey.