By John Brima
The final group of Sierra Leonean pilgrims travelling from home for the annual Hajj has arrived in Madinah, completing the country’s outbound journey for the 2026 pilgrimage, officials said.
A total of 265 pilgrims landed late on Monday at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport, where they were received by staff of the Sierra Leone embassy and members of the presidential Hajj taskforce.
Ambassador Mohammed Barrie and Deputy Ambassador Abdul Aziz Turay were among officials who welcomed the arrivals across multiple days, as earlier batches also reached the city.
The pilgrims are expected to begin visits to key Islamic historical sites before proceeding to the main Hajj rites later this month.
Some pilgrims described their journey from Freetown as smooth and well-organised, praising the arrangements made by authorities.
“Alhamdulillah, the flight was smooth… this is the best Hajj,” said Ibrahim Bah, one of the pilgrims.
Another traveller, Abu Ansumana Conteh, said the trip was “fantastic,” while Haja Kadie George commended organisers for ensuring a peaceful journey.
The first batch of 267 pilgrims, which arrived on May 15, has already travelled onward to Makkah to perform Umrah, while a second batch that landed on May 16 is expected to proceed there by road.
The main Hajj rituals are due to begin on May 25.
In total, about 2,626 Sierra Leoneans are expected to participate in this year’s pilgrimage, including roughly 826 home-based pilgrims and 1,800 others travelling from the diaspora.
The operation has been coordinated by Sierra Leone’s government in collaboration with Saudi authorities, as part of annual arrangements for the Muslim pilgrimage.
