RIYADH

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday began registering citizens and residents for free COVID-19 vaccines, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement cited by the official SPA news agency said the registration will be carried out on three stages, each targeting a specific group of citizens based on age, weight, immunity and chronic diseases.

The ministry stressed on the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine, saying it has successfully passed all testing stages and contains a strong immune response against the virus.

The Gulf kingdom has so far registered 360,013 virus infections, including 6,059 deaths, and 350,792 recoveries.

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia said that it will be one of the first countries to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara