JEDDAH: The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has taken first place in the excellent corporate performance category at the Madinah Award Foundation’s ceremony. The event, which was held at Taibah University’s Conference Hall on Wednesday, was attended by Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman, who is also chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees, and Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah. The ministry said in a press statement that the award was the result of its efforts in supporting innovation in institutional performance and preparing guides for Hajj and Umrah operations, which included follow-up procedures to achieve performance indicators. It also stressed its digital transformation, the spreading awareness of responsibility, integrity, justice and transparency, and its encouragement of employees to participate in community activities and volunteer work. Some 26 entities had applied for the award for the best government-performing organization. Al-Rabiah expressed his appreciation to Prince Faisal for organizing the award, which he said aimed to encourage departments to achieve excellence. He added that the ministry would not have achieved the distinction had it not been for the directives of its leadership which sought to help worshippers on their journeys to the holy places.