Dead Sea lockdown for Arab summit starts March 23

AMMAN — As part of the Kingdom’s preparations for the Arab summit, scheduled to be held between March 23 and 29, a security closure will be in force in the Dead Sea area from 2pm on March 21 until 12pm on March 30.

The closure will extend from the Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea to the Crowne Plaza Jordan Dead Sea Resort and Spa, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The measure applies to individuals and vehicles alike, on both sides of the road. No one will be allowed entry to the area during this period, unless they have security permits.

Area residents were to report to the main operation room at the Grand East Hotel at the Dead Sea, some 50km southwest of Amman, earlier this month to receive the necessary permits, according to a statement published on the summit’s website.

The new arrangements annul earlier instructions made public on February 28, announcing that the security closure would be carried out in the Dead Sea area from 2pm on March 21 to March 30 midnight. 

Heads of states, including Saudi monarch, Salman Bin Abdulaziz, are expected to attend the high-profile meeting.