4,500 Cameroonians to perform Umrah, Haj

Some 4,500 Cameroonians are expected to perform Umrah and Haj this year. “Muslims in Cameroon regularly visit Saudi Arabia for Umrah during Ramadan and to perform Haj,” said Ambassador Iya Tidjani. “They observe the holy month with fervor and spirituality.”

He said they will also perform Haj and that he was hoping that the number of visas allocated for Cameroon will be increased by the Saudi Ministry of Haj.

Stressing the excellent bilateral ties binding the two countries, he said there are some 10,000 Cameroonians living in Saudi Arabia. “There are also 50 Cameroonians enrolled in Arabic and religious courses at universities in the Saudi capital,” the Cameroonian envoy said.

Asked about problems faced by Cameroonians in performing Umrah, he mentioned the distance, and there is yet no direct flight between the Kingdom and Cameroon.

He added that because of the developing economic partnership between the two countries, a draft agreement on air travel, as part of bilateral cooperation, is under study. He said that Under Head of State Paul Biya has launched “an ambitious economic program for economic emergence by 2035.”

He added that Cameroon has started to realize ambitious projects with the help of the Kingdom through the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) as part of the bilateral cooperation.

“The IDB has granted loans, technical assistance and financing to the private sector. Currently, there are 42 projects in Cameroon at a cost of $646,560,000,” he said.The SFD has also contributed to the realization of important projects like the Douala-Yaounde main road, the Eseka Maloume Railway, the University of Ngaoundere and wheat culture. He added that at present, SFD has two projects in Cameroon with a total cost of $22 million.