Arafah sermon to reach global audience in 38 languages as Saudi Arabia expands Hajj Broadcast

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is set to deliver the 2025 Arafah sermon to a global audience through live translations in 38 languages, including major African tongues like Hausa, Yoruba and Fulani.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to ensure inclusivity and foster a deeper connection with millions of Muslims and non-Muslims around the world.

Authorities announced that this year’s Hajj Khutbah, taking place on Thursday, 9 Dhul Hijjah 1446, will be simultaneously translated into a wide range of languages to help listeners understand the message in their native dialects.

Languages featured in the broadcast include Arabic, Urdu, English, French, Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian, Persian (Farsi), Spanish, Russian, Bengali, and Turkish. Others are Malay (Bahasa Melayu), Portuguese, Italian, German, Filipino (Tagalog), Amharic, Bosnian, Hindi, Dutch, Thai, Malayalam, Swahili, Pashto, Tamil, Azerbaijani, Swedish, Uzbek, Albanian, Somali, Rohingya and the African languages Hausa, Fulani and Yoruba.

By expanding its linguistic reach, Saudi Arabia aims to emphasize the values of peace, tolerance, and unity that Islam upholds—offering a message that resonates beyond cultural and religious boundaries.

In a separate development, the Saudi moon-sighting committee confirmed on May 27 that the crescent of Dhul Hijjah had been sighted. As a result, the Day of Arafat will be observed on June 5, with Eid-el-Kabir scheduled for June 6, 2025.