Egypt wins silver ‘Labbaytum’ award for excellence in Hajj services

Egypt has, for the first time, been awarded the Silver “Labbaytum” Award for Excellence in Serving the Guests of Allah, in its fifth edition for the 1447H Hajj season, according to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

The recognition was granted in appreciation of the services delivered by the official Egyptian Hajj mission across its three components — tourism Hajj, lottery Hajj, and NGO Hajj — which contributed to facilitating pilgrims’ performance of rituals and enhancing their overall experience.

The “Labbaytum” Award was established to promote competitiveness among service providers and encourage continuous improvement in the delivery of Hajj services, with the aim of creating a more seamless and spiritually enriching pilgrimage experience. The award framework evaluates service providers according to a set of criteria, including pilgrim-centric service delivery, institutional excellence, integration with government partners, enhancement of private and third-sector participation, measurement of pilgrim satisfaction, service quality assessment, and compliance standards.

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy expressed appreciation for this milestone achievement, noting that tourism pilgrims represent approximately 52 per cent of Egypt’s total Hajj quota. He stressed the pivotal role of the tourism sector in serving Egyptian pilgrims and highlighted the significant efforts undertaken to organise tourism Hajj programmes and deliver integrated services aligned with pilgrims’ expectations.

The “Labbaytum” Award for Excellence in Serving the Guests of God is presented by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. It aims to foster competitiveness among service providers and enhance service quality to enrich the pilgrims’ experience. The award comprises twelve categories, including Hajj affairs offices, and is currently in its fifth edition for 2026.