In a significant show of spiritual diplomacy and international religious cooperation, two distinguished Imams from the Grand Mosque in Makkah—Sheikh Dr. Bandar bin Abdulaziz Baleelah and Sheikh Muhammad bin Usamah Khayyat—touched down in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, earlier today on an official visit facilitated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The mission is part of an ongoing initiative spearheaded by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs, in close partnership with the Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Two Holy Mosques.
The arrival of the esteemed scholars was marked by a warm reception at the Pristina International Airport. Among those present to receive them were Kosovo’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Naim Trnava, alongside Sheikh Amer Al-Anzi, who serves as the Religious Attaché at the Saudi Embassy in Albania, and top-ranking officials from the Islamic Community of Kosovo. The visit signifies a deepening of religious and cultural ties between Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Kosovo, a nation with a predominantly Muslim population and a flourishing Islamic heritage.
Sheikh Dr. Bandar Baleelah, widely respected across the Muslim world for his role as Imam and Khateeb at the Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, is expected to hold a series of high-level meetings with local Islamic scholars. These engagements will focus on strengthening Islamic education, enhancing religious outreach, and reinforcing shared values of moderation, unity, and mutual respect within the Muslim Ummah. His itinerary includes visits to historic religious landmarks such as the Sultan Mehmet Fatih Mosque, one of the oldest Islamic sites in Kosovo, symbolising centuries of Islamic presence in the Balkans.
Highlighting the spiritual importance of the visit, Sheikh Baleelah is also scheduled to deliver the Friday sermon at Pristina’s main mosque. According to official sources, the sermon will focus on the universal themes of peace, tolerance, and Islamic brotherhood—messages particularly relevant in today’s global context of rising polarization and cultural misunderstanding.
Sheikh Muhammad bin Usamah Khayyat, who is currently serving as Deputy President for Imams and Muezzins Affairs at the Grand Mosque, is accompanying Sheikh Baleelah on the visit. Together, they represent the core leadership of Makkah’s religious institution, making their presence a major milestone in Saudi Arabia’s growing outreach to international Muslim communities.
His Eminence Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, President of Religious Affairs at the Two Holy Mosques, has described the Kosovo visit as a critical chapter in the broader Imams of the Haramain Global Visit Program. Launched in 2024, the initiative aims to dispatch senior mosque leaders across the globe, engaging with communities to spread the values embodied by the Haramain—namely peace, knowledge, service, and moderation.
Kosovo, with its rich Islamic heritage and increasing investment in religious education, has emerged as a key destination within this program. The Saudi delegation’s visit is expected to foster lasting religious dialogue, encourage cross-border cooperation, and reaffirm the Kingdom’s role as a custodian of Islamic traditions and global Muslim unity.