The Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, 4th December, 2024, organised a farewell ceremony in honour of the outgoing Ambassador of Sierra Leone to Saudi Arabia, Dr. Ibrahim Jalloh, who assumed office in 2019.
Ambassador Jalloh was awarded a distinguished plaque during his send-off ceremony at the Chancery in recognition of his five years outstanding service to the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Saudi Arabia.
Bidding farewell to the departing envoy, the Deputy Ambassador of the Embassy, Abdul Aziz Turay, expressed his profound gratitude to Ambassador Jalloh for his service. “On behalf of the Mission, I want to say thank you for your service. As you leave the shores of the Kingdom, I wish you all the best and may Allah reward you for your service,” he concluded.
Earlier, in his opening remarks as chairman of the ceremony, the Head of Chancery (HOC), Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabba, said the event was geared towards celebrating and appreciating the remarkable work of Ambassador Jalloh in Saudi Arabia, and to wish him the best of luck as he departs the Kingdom.
“We are gathered here today to show our profound appreciation and gratitude to Ambassador Jalloh for his distinguished service to this Mission,” Mr. Kabba said.
The Information Attaché of the Embassy, Abubakarr Bah, narrated that it was under the tenure of Ambassador Jalloh and team that he was able to establish a functional website for the Embassy, produce four Embassy newsletters, the 2022 Hajj documentary, as well as increase the Mission’s visibility on social and mainstream media.
“All these achievements were as a result of the conducive working environment and support I enjoyed in all these years working with Ambassador Jalloh,” he concluded.
Mohamed Swaray Kamara, on behalf of the local staff of the Embassy, said Ambassador Jalloh would be remembered as not just a diplomat but also a religious scholar who used to teach them about Islam, something he said uplifted them both spiritually and morally.
While responding to the courtesies, Ambassador Jalloh started off by thanking the Almighty Allah for making it possible for him to serve as the top envoy of Sierra Leone in the Kingdom. He expressed deep gratitude to His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio for appointing him from among the many competent Sierra Leoneans to serve. He urged staff of the Embassy to remain united and support the new leadership in the interest of Sierra Leone.
In another development, the Adviser to His Excellency the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Abdul Qadir bin Ahmed Almashhor, on behalf of the OIC, visited Ambassador Jalloh to thank him for his
Service, and bade him farewell. Dr. Almashhor was accompanied by the Ambassador of The Gambia to Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Omar Gibril Sallah.
Dr. Abdul Qadir said that the OIC was planning to support the education sector of the government to complement the vision of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio’s Free Quality Education.
In his response, Ambassador Jalloh commended the Adviser to the OIC Secretary General and the Gambian Ambassador for the farewell courtesies. He said governance is continuity and urged the OIC representative to work with his successor and team at the Embassy in actualizing the education project, adding that his successor would build on and further cement the long bilateral relations between Sierra Leone, Saudi Arabia and the OIC.
Ambassador Jalloh and his family were accompanied to the airport by the Information Attaché of the Embassy, Abubakarr Bah, the Senior Liaison Officer, Alhaji Ibrahim Koi-Dowui, and the Liaison Officer, Mohamed Jalloh.