Arab foreign ministers on Sunday recommended a ban on flights to the troubled country from Arab countries, among other economic sanctions.
A large number of Syrians in the Kingdom usually travel by air to visit their country.
However, they could now be banned from flying to Syria, and forced to use road transport instead.
The Arab League sanctions that are expected to be implemented include asset freezes and an embargo on Arab investments in Syria.
“As a Syrian resident in Saudi Arabia, I used to visit my country every year by air. Now, I have to stop visiting my home due to the Arab sanctions against my country which may include an embargo on flights to Syria,” said Syrian resident in Jeddah Adel Al-Halbi.
There are a large number of Syrian residents in the Kingdom who usually travel by land to reach their home, especially those who live in the northern regions.
The majority of Syrian residents who live in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam travel by air due to the long distance.
“The journey to Syria from Jeddah and Dammam by land takes at least one day. I live in Jeddah and I prefer to travel to my home by air,” said Rasha Mahdi, a Syrian resident living in Dammam.
“However, the Arab ban on flying to Syria will force Syrian residents in Arab countries to travel by land. Many of them will take two or three days to reach their home.”
Meanwhile, local experts said travel agencies would face huge losses in the region of millions of riyals if the ban is implemented.
“The political uprising in Syria reduced the number of Saudi and Syrian tourists by 50 percent last summer. There are many Syrian residents who will not travel until the turmoil ends,” chairman of Al-Tayyar travel agency Dr. Nasser Al-Tayyar told Arab News.
“However, the recent sanctions of the Arab League will complicate the situations of Syrian residents who want to visit their families or relatives in Syria. The travel agencies will face huge losses, estimated at more than SR100 million ,” Al-Tayyar added.
