Saudi Arabia has entered into a US$265 million ((Saudi Rials 995 million) deal with a Chinese firm to ramp up coronavirus (Covid-19) testing.

The Kingdom, which eased its 24-hour curfew, excluding hotspots such as the Holy City of Mecca, said in a statement that the agreement with China’s Beijing Genome Institute (BGI) will provide for nine million COVID-19 tests, which would be conducted by “500 experts, specialists, and technicians” to be brought in from China.

As part of the agreement, six large regional laboratories will also be set up in the kingdom. This will include a “mobile laboratory with a production capacity of 10,000 tests daily”, the government statement added.

With the highest number of infections in the Arab world, Saudi Arabia is struggling to contain the virus with the deaths from Covid-19 on Sunday rising to 139 and confirmed infections to 17,522. Recoveries reported are 2,357.

Though according to the Saudi Press Agency, a nationwide curfew has been relaxed between 9 am and 5 pm, with malls and retailers allowed to reopen until May 13, Mecca and other areas still remain under complete lockdown. The highest number of infections have been recorded in Mecca despite the city being completely cordoned off.

Saudi Arabia suspended the year-round ‘umrah’ pilgrimage and is yet to announce if they will allow Haj pilgrimage to go ahead as scheduled.