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Good news for this year's Hajj pilgrims : Hajj visas to be issued in Freetown

Written by Alhaji Jalloh: Information Attache; Saudi Arabia Sunday, 25 October 2009 17:54

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 Following the confidence and credibility in the security situation in Sierra Leone, the authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are to dispatch two of their nationals for the issuance of Hajj visas in Freetown.Two officers attached to the Bureau of the Consular Section in the Saudi Foreign Ministry, Messrs. Maray Baraka Bashyer Al Drbas and Hakem Hazza Al Dawesh, will arrive soon in Freetown to issue over 500 Hajj visas,  an official at the Saudi Foreign Affairs confirmed .

 It could be recalled that Hajj visas were normally issued in neighbouring Guinea-Conakry where Saudi Arabia has its Mission, but has remained closed since December 2008, following the military takeover of the National Council for Democracy and Development (NCDD) led by Captain Moussa Dadis Camara.

According to local tabloid reports, more than 3,000 foreign pilgrims on 19 flights arrived at King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah last week.

The Director General of the Airport, Mazen Khashoggi was quoted to have said that “this year’s Hajj would witness a qualitative shift in pilgrim services. Pilgrims are being received at 13 gates. Eight new air bridges will be ready for serving them shortly after arrival.”

Regarding the new arrangement for the smooth arrival and departure of pilgrim aircraft, the director said, “The peak season of arrivals and departures of pilgrims this year has been extended to 21 days instead of 10 days as in the past. The number of inbound flights each hour at the beginning of Hajj will be limited to six for arrival and five for departure at the end.”

In another development, the Madinah branch of the Ministry of Pilgrimage has announced that it would start providing services for the large influx of pilgrims through various government departments, reception centers and field committees.

Minister of Hajj, Dr. Fouad Abdul Salam Al-Farsi, has also promised to provide around-the-clock services to pilgrims the moment they arrive to when they depart. “This is done through reinforcing the field presence of the committees for services, support and monitoring and by intensifying coordination among the various committees of the ministry, the Private Establishment for Guides (PEG) and other parties concerned with extending services to the pilgrims.”

Meanwhile, over 500 Sierra Leonean pilgrims are expected to arrive at the King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah in the second week of November on Royal Air Maroc (RAM).

Alhaji  M.B. Jalloh, Information Attaché, Sierra Leone Embassy, Riyadh – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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