Iran has for the first time won Saudi Arabia’s prestigious Labaytum prize for providing exceptional executive services to pilgrims during the 2025 Hajj.
The Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization of Iran received the award during the official closing ceremony of this year’s Hajj at the headquarters of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in the holy city of Mecca on Sunday.
The annual award has four levels, including diamond, gold, silver and bronze. It recognizes excellence in planning, healthcare, religious guidance, comfort, technology use, and overall organization, in Hajj pilgrim services.
Iran was granted the bronze award along with Somalia and Tunisia at the event, during which Saudi officials outlined their planning for the 2025 Hajj and shared expert evaluations of the quality and efficiency of the services provided to pilgrims by participating countries.
Malaysia, Turkey, and Iraq bagged the diamond award, while China, Algeria, and Singapore got the gold, with South Africa, Jordan, and Brunei claiming the silver prize.
في حفل #ختامه_مسك السنوي:
تكريم الفائزين بجائزة #لبيتم للتميز في خدمة ضيوف الرحمن، فئة مكاتب شؤون الحج، نظير جهودهم المميزة في موسم حج 1446هـ.#يسر_وطمأنينة
— وزارة الحج والعمرة (@HajMinistry) June 8, 2025
Hajj is one of Islam’s five pillars and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
Representing a profound spiritual journey for Muslims, the pilgrimage involves a series of rituals over several days, including circumambulating the holy Ka’aba, walking between the hills of Safa and Marwa, standing in prayer at Mount Arafat, and the symbolic stoning of the devil in the Mina valley.
This year 1,673,230 people performed Hajj, including 1,506,576 foreign pilgrims and 166,654 Saudi nationals, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics.
