The 46th edition of the King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorising, Reciting and Interpreting the Holy Qur’an officially began on Thursday in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, bringing together a record number of participants from around the world.
The competition is being held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman, and is organised by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance. The event will run until Rabi Al-Awwal 6, corresponding to August 19.
A total of 334 male and female contestants from 133 countries are taking part in this year’s competition, making it the largest participation since the competition was launched.
According to the organisers, the event is designed to encourage young Muslims to memorise, understand and reflect on the Holy Qur’an while promoting healthy competition among participants from different countries.
The organisers said the competition also seeks to highlight Saudi Arabia’s role in serving the Holy Qur’an and recognising those who have dedicated themselves to memorising it.
In a major first for the competition, independent contests for female participants will be held at the Makkah Hilton Hotel & Convention, while the finals for male contestants and the closing ceremony will take place at the Grand Mosque.
The competition features five categories and offers a total prize pool of SR10,260,000, about N3.7 billion, the highest reward since the international contest was established.
The event is widely regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious Qur’an competitions, attracting top reciters and memorizers from across the globe.
