Saudi Arabia awards SR1.5m to participants in King Abdulaziz Qur'an competition

JEDDAH: The Ministry of Islamic Affairs awarded participants in the 46th King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorizing, Reciting and Interpreting the Holy Qur'an in Makkah. Cash prizes of SR5,000 ($1,332) each, totaling more than SR1.5 million, were awarded to recognize their efforts and encourage their continued dedication to the Holy Qur'an. The six-day competition saw two judging panels for male and female contestants listen to the recitations of 334 participants from 133 countries, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Several participants in the King Abdulaziz Qur'an competition expressed their happiness after arriving in Madinah following the final qualifying stage. (SPA) The final rounds featured high levels of memorization, mastery, recitation quality and performance, with male and female Qur'an memorizers competing against one another. The total value of prizes in this edition reached SR10.26 million, with 50 male and female winners — five in each of the competition's five categories. Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh praised the Saudi leadership's support for the competition and its continued care for the Holy Qur'an and its memorizers. Several participants in the King Abdulaziz Qur'an competition expressed their happiness after arriving in Madinah following the final qualifying stage. (SPA) The latest edition introduced several major changes, most notably the participation of female contestants for the first time in the competition's history. The electronic judging system was enhanced to improve accuracy, transparency in score calculation and the efficiency of evaluation procedures. The edition also saw improvements to organizational aspects and listening and judging mechanisms. After the competition, the ministry organized a cultural tour of the Clock Tower Museum for participants as part of a program introducing them to Makkah's landmarks. During the tour, participants explored the museum's galleries and viewed scientific and educational exhibits on astronomy and time measurement. The tour concluded with an overview of the Makkah Clock's cultural and engineering significance. Later, several participants expressed their happiness at arriving in Madinah after completing the competition's final qualifying stage. Contestant Sarah Sayani from Portugal thanked the Saudi leadership for supporting those devoted to the Holy Qur'an. She said the journey was more than participation in a competition, describing it as a spiritual experience that would remain in her memories for a long time. Contestant Aman Batel from Reunion highlighted the spiritual atmosphere he experienced in Makkah and Madinah, and thanked Saudi Arabia for the attention given to participants. Contestant Musa Ashraf from the Maldives said taking part in the competition was one of the greatest experiences of his life, giving him an opportunity to review the Holy Qur'an in a distinctive, competitive atmosphere. He thanked the organizers for the outstanding arrangements and care provided to participants, from their arrival in Makkah through their transfer to Madinah.