14 Contenders Perform Recitations on First Day of Mecca Int’l Quran Contest

IQNA – The 45th edition of the King Abdulaziz International Quran Memorization, Recitation, and Interpretation Competition was launched at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca on Saturday.

Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Abdullatif Al Alsheikh, General Supervisor of the Local and International Quran Competition, inaugurated the final rounds of the competition.

Organized by the ministry under the patronage of the Saudi king, the event is being held at the Grand Mosque with the participation of 179 contestants from 128 countries.

The final rounds will continue for six days, divided into morning and evening sessions, with a panel of international judges overseeing the proceedings.

In his opening speech, Al Alsheikh welcomed the attendees and participants, saying that his ministry takes pride in organizing this prestigious competition, where contestants strive to perfect the memorization, recitation, and interpretation of the Holy Quran in the holiest place on earth.

He added that the ministry has established clear judging criteria and a publicly announced methodology to ensure fairness and transparency, selecting an elite panel of judges from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Uganda, and Albania.

The total prize money amounts to SAR4 million, with an additional SAR1 million in cash gifts distributed to all participants.

The opening ceremony received wide coverage from local and international media, which broadcast the competition live. The ministry has set up a dedicated media center to receive delegations and enable continuous live broadcasting to showcase this global Quranic event.

On the First day of the contest, the judging committee listened to 14 contestants from 13 countries.

The participants, representing nations including Chad, Mali, Palestine, Kenya, Kuwait, and Switzerland, competed across the competition’s five categories.

The judging committee will continue hearing recitations from the remaining contestants tomorrow as part of the ongoing event at the Grand Mosque.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has two representatives in the contest.

Mehdi Barandeh competes for Iran in memorization of the entire Quran and Seyed Hossein Moqaddam Sadat is representing the country in memorization of 15 Juzes (parts) of the Holy Book.

Source: spa.gov.sa