By Abubakarr S. Bah

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced its intention to open an Embassy in Freetown, Sierra Leone very soon.

This announcement was made by the Saudi Minister of State for African Affairs, His Excellency Ahmed Abdul Aziz Kattan, during a courtesy visit by His Excellency Dr. Ibrahim Jalloh, Ambassador of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“Plans are underway to immediately send a delegation to Freetown to finalise the technical studies regarding the opening of the Embassy. The opening of our Embassy in Freetown will further strengthen the long bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Sierra Leone,” he assured.

The inauguration of the Saudi Embassy in Freetown for the first time in four decades of bilateral ties would not only strengthen the prolonged diplomatic relations between the two nations but it would also close a long chapter of constraints in obtaining Saudi Visas for students, visitors, pilgrims, workers in the private and public sectors, who often travel to neighbouring countries for consular services.

The pending visits of Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Professor David John Francis and the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Alpha Timbo to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; reciprocal allocation of land for the construction of Embassies for both countries and plans to establish a labour agreement between the two countries to enable Sierra Leoneans to live and work in Saudi Arabia were key issues also discussed during the courtesy visit.

Ambassador Jalloh was accompanied by the Minister Plenipotentiary, Ibrahim V. Kondo and the First Secretary, Mohamed SulaimanSankoh.