JEDDAH – The Ministry of Haj held the annual reception ceremony for Heads of Haj Affairs Officers, special guests from the Gulf region, and members of the local media to celebrate the success of the 1433 Haj and to honor those who truly shone this year. The lavish ceremony was held recently at the Park Hyatt Jeddah Hotel and was attended by prominent members of the Saudi society and expatriate communities. Among the many awards that were given away, one was exceptional by all means. This year, a Haj award was given to a Yemeni origin restaurant worker Muhammad Ahmad Hujailan for his honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness. Hujailan received a thunderous applause from the audiences when he went on stage to receive his award from Dr. Bandar Hajjar, Minister of Haj. Hujailan works at a restaurant on the freeway between Jeddah and Makkah, his small shop is a common stop for Haj and Umrah pilgrims who are always on a lookout for a quick bite. One of his pilgrim-customers purchased a meal and accidentally forgot his briefcase at the restaurant. The pilgrim was long gone before Hujailan found the briefcase, and in it he was shocked to find SR 70,000, passports, and other important documents. Hujailan quickly contacted the Ministry of Haj and reported the incident. The ministry dispatched a representative to Hujailan's restaurant. Taking utmost precautions Hujailan did not handover the bag to the representative until he had shown his identification card and proved that he was from the ministry. The ministry left no stone unturned to locate the briefcase's rightful owner, eventually returning it to the pilgrim. Talk of Hujailan's ethical act during this year's Haj season spread among Twitter and Facebook users, and was reported on MBC, FM radio shows, and local newspapers. – SG
