SAUDI ARABIA .
A group of Ugandan pilgrims—new Hajjis and Hajjats—who travelled to the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Hajj under the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), are set to return home aboard Uganda Airlines.
The pilgrims are scheduled to depart from Madina International Airport at approximately 8:00 p.m. on the evening of Friday, June 13, 2025, and are expected to arrive at Entebbe International Airport around midnight on Saturday, June 14, 2025.
The UMSC Department of Hajj and Umrah, led by Sheikh Ali Juma Shiwuyo, has called upon relatives and well-wishers who intend to welcome the pilgrims at the airport to arrive on time, observe airport regulations, and cooperate with Civil Aviation Authority officials while at the airport.
On Friday morning, the pilgrims received a final travel briefing from Sheikh Shiwuyo. They were also addressed by Dr. Sheikh Ahmad Hamid Wandega, the Eastern Regional Assistant in the Office of the Mufti, who delivered a special message on behalf of His Eminence, the Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje.
“O you special guests of Almighty God who have been blessed to perform Hajj in 2025, our humble appeal to you is to be exemplary in your communities. Go in peace, and may the divine light that has shone upon you during your time in the Holy Land enlighten others and inspire future generations to seek the same opportunity to visit the sacred sanctuaries,” Sheikh Wandega conveyed.
He concluded with heartfelt prayers for a safe journey, and invoked blessings upon the pilgrims’ families, the nation, and the Muslim leadership under His Eminence Mufti Mubajje.
Before their departure, the pilgrims had the rare and spiritually uplifting opportunity to perform Friday prayers at the magnificent Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque in Madina, famed for its breath-taking interior of white marble and golden patterns on massive pillars.
On Thursday, the group enjoyed guided tours of several historic Islamic sites in and around Madina.
The last group of Ugandan pilgrims is expected to depart on Sunday, June 15, 2025.