A total of 652 pilgrims from Sierra Leone have completed all the religious rituals in this year’s Hajj in the holy city of Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The first and second batches from Sierra Leone comprise 640 pilgrims and 12 officials, including 2 medical doctors, 1 pharmacist, 2 nurses and 7 government officials.
Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Hajj in Sierra Leone, Alhaji Murtada M. Sesay said: “The Government of His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio continues to do remarkably well in minimising the challenges faced by pilgrims in the previous years”.
He said President Bio appointed a Task Force Committee on Hajj in April this year to undertake the 1444/2023 Hajj, adding that the Task Force established a one-stop shop Hajj registration secretariat at Kingtom which facilitated registration, medical screening and electronic visa issuance to the pilgrims.
“The establishment of the one stop-shop secretariat made it easier for us to fast-track registration, medical screening and issuance of electronic visas to the pilgrims smoothly, thereby ensuring that all the pilgrims are flown to Saudi Arabia in two batches on the 21 and 22 June 2023 respectively,” Alhaji Murtada Sesay said.
He acknowledged the vital role played by the Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Dr. Ibrahim Jalloh and staff of the Embassy, whom he said collaborated with the Task Force Committee very well to help ensure a very successful Hajj.
At Arafat, on Tuesday, 27th June 2023, the pilgrims spent the rest of the day praying and making supplications till sunset before proceeding to Muzdalifah, where they spent the night till daybreak (Fajri).
The pilgrims later proceeded to Mina after the early morning fajri prayers.
At Mina, they threw pebbles at the “Jamaratul Aqabah” on Thursday and Friday respectively, a ritual they will do on Saturday for all the 3 “Jamarats”.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) reports that the total number of pilgrims performing this year’s Hajj is One Million Eight Hundred and Forty-five thousand and forty-five (1,845,045).
“Of these, One Million Six Hundred and Sixty Thousand Nine Hundred and fifteen (1,660,915) pilgrims came from outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, while the number of domestic pilgrims reached One Hundred and eighty-four thousand One Hundred and thirty (184,130), including both citizens and residents,” GASTAT states.
