The President of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Sudais, announced the launch of the “Excellence and Creativity Award” at the Presidency, in a strategic step aimed at stimulating quality initiatives and honoring outstanding institutional performance, which will positively impact the experience of visitors to the Two Holy Mosques.
During his meeting with the leadership of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, following the announcement of a series of development decisions, Sheikh Al-Sudais emphasized that the current and future phases require raising the efficiency of institutional work and elevating the system of religious services to international standards. He stressed the necessity of strengthening the integration between strategic planning, field implementation, and meticulous follow-up, while consolidating the principles of governance and transparency as a fundamental pillar for achieving the Presidency's strategic objectives.
The importance of the award and its role in motivation
The Excellence and Innovation Award serves as an effective tool for creating a competitive work environment that encourages Presidency staff to innovate and present creative ideas that serve the religious mission of the Two Holy Mosques. Al-Sudais explained that the award is not merely a fleeting honor, but rather a methodology aimed at investing in human potential and directing it towards improving the quality of services provided to pilgrims, Umrah performers, and visitors, and ensuring the sustainability of development within the religious system.
The context of the new structure and Vision 2030
This initiative is particularly important given the structural transformations in the system for serving pilgrims, especially following the Saudi Cabinet's decision to establish an independent Presidency for Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. This historic decision granted the Presidency a centralized mandate to oversee religious lessons, sermons, recitations, and religious awareness programs, necessitating advanced administrative tools such as this award to ensure the tasks are performed with the required expertise and precision.
These steps are also in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, specifically the Guests of God Service Program, which aims to facilitate hosting more pilgrims and make it easier to access the Two Holy Mosques, while providing high-quality services that enrich the religious and cultural experience of visitors.
Conveying the message of the Two Holy Mosques to the world
In the context of the international dimension, Al-Sudais emphasized the importance of being mindful of both national and religious duties in fulfilling the responsibilities of the Presidency, and of working diligently to convey the moderate message of the Two Holy Mosques to the entire world. He pointed to the necessity of utilizing technology, languages, and translation to ensure that the guidance of the Two Holy Mosques reaches pilgrims in their various languages and cultures, reflecting the universality and tolerance of the Islamic message, and enhancing the Kingdom's soft power and its positive influence in the Muslim world.
The President concluded his speech by praising the high satisfaction rates achieved by beneficiaries of religious services, stressing that this positive indicator reflects the quality of outputs and at the same time constitutes a strong incentive to continue the path of development and continuous improvement, in line with the aspirations of the wise leadership - may God support them - in serving Islam and Muslims.
