By ABUBAKARR BAH, Information Attaché, Saudi Arabia
As the sacred days of Hajj approach, Sierra Leonean Hajj pilgrims in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Central Europe, are making final preparations to fly to Madinah, Islam’s second holiest city in Saudi Arabia, for the 1446/2025 Hajj.
Out of the 1,400 diaspora pilgrims, 41 are from the United States and Canada, 230 are from the United Kingdom, and the remainder are from Australia and Central Europe.
One of the intending pilgrims in the United States, Mohamed L. Bah, commended the Presidential Taskforce on Hajj and the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Alhaji Mohamed Haji-Kella, for incorporating Sierra Leoneans in the diaspora into the Sierra Leone Hajj contingent.
“Reflecting on the setbacks diaspora pilgrims faced in last year’s Hajj, we, the Sierra Leonean Hajj pilgrims in the States, are very thankful to Hon. Haji-Kella and the Presidential Taskforce on Hajj in Sierra Leone, for incorporating us into the 2025 Sierra Leone Hajj contingent,” L. Bah said.
He disclosed that the 41 pilgrims in the States had completed the Hajj orientation and would depart on May 21 for Saudi Arabia, and are expected to arrive in Madinah on 22nd May 2025.
Four Sierra Leoneans in the United Kingdom intending to perform the pilgrimage- Sheikh Madieu Jalloh, Ibrahima Wanne, Saadu Jalloh and Alhaji Umaru Jalloh- stated via a conference call that a total of 230 Sierra Leonean Hajj pilgrims resident in the UK would be flying from London on different flights between 25 and 28 May 2025, to join their Sierra Leonean counterparts for this year’s Hajj.
“This is unprecedented and a great initiative by the Government of Sierra Leone to ensure that those in the diaspora perform this year’s Hajj. We therefore commend the Presidential Taskforce on Hajj headed by Alhaji Murtada Sesay, as well as the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Hon. Haji-Kella, for bringing the UK contingent onboard,” Sheikh Mahdi Jalloh said.
Since the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah introduced the Nusuk electronic platform in 2022, this has put Hajj agents in the diaspora out of business. Some of the agents were notorious for abandoning the pilgrims during the pilgrimage. However, the Government of Sierra Leone, through the Presidential Taskforce on Hajj, worked diligently to ensure that intending Sierra Leonean pilgrims in the diaspora are incorporated into this year’s Hajj.
Photos credit: Mohamed L. Bah, USA, and Sheikh Mahdi Jalloh, UK
