Makkah: The State of Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs, is taking part in the 45th King Abdulaziz International Competition for the Memorization, Recitation, and Interpretation of the Holy Qur'an. The competition is scheduled to occur from August 12-20, 2025, at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
According to Qatar News Agency, this year's representation from Qatar includes Nasser Khalifa Ali Mubarak Al Mahmoud, who will compete in the category of memorizing half of the Holy Qur'an. Ajyan Jaber Al Ahbabi, head of the imams and preachers guidance section at the Ministry's mosques department, will lead the Qatari delegation.
Head of the Holy Qur'an and Its Sciences section at Awqaf's Department of Da'wah and Religious Guidance, Fahd Ahmed Al Muhammad, highlighted that Qatari youth have participated in several editions of the competition over the years, achieving advanced positions. Recent participants, Abdulallah Turki Al Subaie and Omar Mubarak Saeed Al Marri, provided distinguished representation.
Al Muhammad also emphasized the Ministry's commitment to selecting the best Qatari students in memorization and proficiency to participate in these competitions. He noted that preparatory school student Nasser Al Mahmoud, who has memorized the entire Holy Qur'an, is an outstanding student at the Al Noor Qur'anic Educational Center. This marks his first participation at the international level following significant achievements in local competitions.
The participation is part of an ambitious plan to compete in international Quranic forums, aiming for Qatari youth to secure advanced positions. It also seeks to instill a spirit of positive competition among skilled memorizers and to motivate generations to adhere to religious teachings, instilling Islamic values from a Quranic perspective.
The King Abdulaziz International Competition features five categories, including memorizing the entire Qur'an in the seven authentic recitations, memorizing the entire Qur'an with excellent recitation and intonation along with interpretation, and several other categories focused on memorizing portions of the Qur'an with proper recitation and intonation for various participant groups.