About the Embassy

Diplomatic Relations Between the Republic of Sierra Leone and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Republic of Sierra Leone and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have enjoyed fruitful long bilateral relation spanning from 1979.  The Republic of Sierra Leone opened its Embassy in Jeddah in 1979 with Ambassador Alhaji Baba Sulaiman Timbo (of blessed memory) as Sierra Leone’s first Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Between 1979 and 1987, Ambassador Timbo cemented strong diplomatic and bilateral ties between Sierra Leone and Saudi Arabia.

These fruitful bilateral relations are further being strengthened by the New Direction Government of His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone since he was democratically elected in 2018. President Bio appointed Dr. Alhaji Ibrahim Jalloh, a renowned Islamic scholar, who studied in Saudi Arabia and very familiar with the Arabic culture and language, to serve as Ambassador Extra-ordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Since then, the diplomatic relations between the Republic of Sierra Leone and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have thrived more than ever before, as the two countries are set to sign cooperation agreement that would further strengthen their bilateral relations. The agreement between the two countries would promote cooperation between the two nations in the areas of trade, investment, education, science, culture, tourism, sports and the economy, among others.

The establishment of bilateral and diplomatic relations between Sierra Leone and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has significantly yielded positive results for both countries. Relations have grown from strength to strength based on mutual understanding, respect and confidence in each other, bordering on increased technical cooperation between the two countries.

Saudi Arabia is soliciting support from Sierra Leone for the Membership of the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Category (C), for the term 2022 – 2023, at the elections to be held in December 2021 in London.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has cooperated with the Republic of Sierra Leone through the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) to provide and support projects in different sectors of the economy in conformity with priorities and policies to improve the quality of life of Sierra Leoneans namely: Infrastructure, Agriculture, Health, Education, Energy and Power etc.

INFRASTRUCTURE

a.         Proposal for 4 (four) referral hospitals in the various regions of Sierra Leone
b.         The Freetown Hillside Road (4 lanes)
c.         Provision of Agricultural machinery i.e Tractors
d.         The Freetown/Monrovia Highway (stretching from Bandajuma to Bo Waterside in the Pujehun District.
e.         Construction of the Freetown Coastal Road – Cline Town-Congo Cross
f.          Support the National Social Action Projects (NaCSA)

In that same year, the Sierra Leone Government received gifts of 3453 kilograms of medical supplies from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for distribution to all Government Hospitals throughout the country.
In 2008, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) Loan Agreement for the Kenema-Pendembu Road Project was signed. Total cost of the project was SR 227.40 million. SDF contributed goods in the South-eastern part of the country and promoting economic development in the project area.

ENERGY AND POWER

In 2009, the Government of Sierra Leone -represented by the National Power Authority- signed a contract Agreement with Jacobensen on the 6th May 2009 for the supply of 1×8.28 MW Power Plant Contract at a contract price of $ 17,856,000 under the Western Area Power Generation Project Phase II. The loan Agreement was signed between the Government of Sierra Leone and the SFD.

EDUCATION

In 2013, a loan agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and BADEA (to the tune of $8.0 million) and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) (to the tune of $13.0 million) in respect of the rehabilitation of Fourah by College, University of Sierra Leone, was signed.

In support of His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s Human Capital Development, the Government of Sierra Leone is to benefit from health and educational support projects worth Twenty-five Million United Sates Dollars ($25,000,000) from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD).

Saudi Arabia continues to offer scholarships to a number of Sierra Leonean students to pursue higher studies in diverse disciplines at various universities in Saudi Arabia. Hundreds of students have gained significantly from such scholarships and have been contributing to national development. 

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Saudi Arabia has offered various financial supports to the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone to help supplement the development projects of the country.
SFD would also be funding the construction of 100 solar-regional powered bore holes for deprived communities in 77 villages across Sierra Leone.
The agency is currently working on 5 projects in Sierra Leone worth approximately $32 Million. They include the Western Area power generation project, the Kenema-Pendembu Road reconstruction project and the rehabilitation and expansion of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.

HUMANITARAIN ASSISTANCE

In 1999, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Monarch of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, approved a donation of thirty-six (36) tons of Food and Medicines as Humanitarian Relief Assistance from his Government and people to the people of Sierra Leone. 

In 2006, the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia allocated the sum of $2,000,000 through the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) towards relief programmes in both the Republic of Sierra Leone and the Republic of Liberia.

When Sierra Leone was hit by the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in 2014, the Government and People of Saudi Arabia made substantial financial contributions and provision of medical supplies in the fight against the Disease.

Additionally, Saudi Arabia provided financial resources, medical and emotional support to the Government and People of Sierra Leone for the August 14 2017 mudslide and flooding disasters that claimed the lives of an uncountable number of our compatriots while wreaking untold havoc in hillside communities.

OPENING OF A DIPLOMATIC MISSION IN FREETOWN

In August 2021 the Saudi Minister of State for African Affairs, His Excellency Ahmed Abdul Aziz Kattan announced that the Kingdom would be opening an Embassy in the Republic of Sierra Leone. The announcement was made during a courtesy visit by His Excellency Dr. Ibrahim Jalloh, Ambassador of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The opening of the Saudi Embassy in Freetown for the first time in 42 years of diplomatic relations would further strengthen the long bilateral cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Sierra Leone.