Egyptian Hajj Mission Wins Saudi Labbaytum Silver Shield First Time

Egypt's Hajj mission has been awarded the Silver Shield at Saudi Arabia's Labbaytum Excellence Awards, marking the first time the country has received the distinction in the Hajj Affairs Offices category. The award recognises outstanding services provided to pilgrims during the annual pilgrimage season.

The recognition comes during a Hajj season that saw more than 78,000 Egyptian pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia, according to official figures from the Egyptian Hajj Mission.

Egyptians represented one of the largest national delegations among the roughly 1.67 million pilgrims who performed Hajj in 2025. Ashraf Abdel Mo'ty, Assistant Minister of Interior for Administrative Affairs and head of the executive body of the ministerial Hajj committee, said the award reflects the combined efforts of Egypt's three specialised Hajj missions—Public Lottery, Social Solidarity and Tourism—which worked together to serve pilgrims throughout the season.

According to Abdel Mo'ty, the mission's success was driven by an unprecedented level of coordination between the various bodies responsible for Egyptian pilgrims, alongside awareness programmes designed to guide pilgrims through Hajj regulations and rituals.

He added that strict adherence to the operational timetable set by Saudi authorities for Hajj Affairs Offices played a decisive role in securing the Silver Shield, highlighting Egypt's ability to meet service and organisational benchmarks throughout the pilgrimage season.

Saudi Arabia's Labbaytum Excellence Awards are presented annually to recognise Hajj missions and organisations that demonstrate high standards in pilgrim services, logistics and overall operational performance during one of the world's largest annual religious gatherings.