On May 18, 2025, Brother Arben Vasili, a member of the Albania Branch Committee, dedicated the first Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses ever to be constructed outside of the branch property in Albania. A total of 338 brothers and sisters attended the historic dedication program in the city of Berat.

Jehovah’s Witnesses obtained legal recognition in Albania in May 1992. Despite this, constructing places of worship was not possible due to considerable difficulties. These included obtaining the necessary legal documents and purchasing suitable property. Therefore, while a few congregations in Albania met in buildings that had been purchased and converted into meeting places, most congregations met in rented facilities. Meanwhile, our brothers diligently continued searching for property where they might build a Kingdom Hall. Eventually, they identified a suitable location in the city of Berat, approximately 90 kilometers (55 mi) south of the branch office. After overcoming several administrative hurdles, the brothers were thrilled to finally purchase the property and begin constructing a new Kingdom Hall from the ground up.

Many of the more than 370 brothers and sisters who serve in Berat’s four congregations volunteered to help build the new hall. Additionally, Witnesses from other areas readily offered to assist on the project. For example, despite living an hour away, Blerim and his wife, Vera, were excited to have a share in a theocratic construction project for the first time. They said: “As regular pioneers, we strive to live simply. Therefore, we were unsure whether our financial circumstances would permit us to participate. So we prayed to Jehovah about our situation. Remarkably, we sold enough fruits and vegetables at the market each week to cover our expenses during the project. Clearly seeing Jehovah’s hand as we shared in the construction of the Kingdom Hall brought us tremendous happiness.”

Together with our dear brothers and sisters in Albania, we joyfully give thanks to Jehovah for providing this beautiful new Kingdom Hall to his “glory and praise.”—Philippians 1:11.