Honoring 112 winners in the Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum Holy Quran Competition in its 26th session

Dubai, 7 March / WAM / The Dubai International Holy Quran Award, affiliated with the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai, honored the winners of the Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum Holy Quran Competition in its twenty-sixth session in 2025, which is considered one of the most prominent Quranic competitions at the state level because it represents a pioneering platform in encouraging young people to memorize the Book of God, master its recitation, and consolidate Islamic values ​​in society.

The current session witnessed the honoring of 112 male and female winners in the various branches of the competition, 56 males and 56 females, within 7 branches that include memorizing the entire Holy Qur’an, memorizing twenty parts, memorizing ten parts for citizens, memorizing ten parts for residents, memorizing five parts for citizens, memorizing three parts for citizens, and memorizing one part for citizens, within the framework of the diversity of tracks that provide the opportunity for different categories of memorizers to participate and highlight their abilities.

In its twenty-sixth session, the competition recorded a wide participation of 1,666 male and female contestants of various ages and categories, including 868 males and 798 females, belonging to 55 nationalities from Arab, Asian, African and European countries, an indicator that reflects the growing status of the competition and its role in serving the Holy Qur’an and promoting the culture of memorization and mastery in society.

Emirati nationals also topped the nationalities of the participants with 1,028 participants, representing 61 percent of the total participants, which is the highest participation rate for citizens in the history of the competition, in a clear indication of the growing interest of the people of the country in memorizing the Book of God and participating in national Quranic activities.

His Excellency Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi, Director-General of the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai and Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees, confirmed that the honoring of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him” for this Quranic forum during the holy month of Ramadan reflects the great care that His Highness attaches to supporting the generations’ adherence to their tolerant Islamic identity and values ​​and motivating them to memorize the Book of God and adhere to its teachings.

His Excellency appreciated the generous patronage of the wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him,” Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, for the competition, which is considered an effective platform in connecting generations with the essence of the true religion and creating a generation that is proud of its identity and values, stressing the commitment of the Department of Islamic Affairs in Dubai and the Dubai International Holy Quran Award to strengthen the role of various initiatives in consolidating noble religious and societal values.

For his part, Ibrahim Jassim Al Mansouri, Acting Director of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, confirmed that the competition represents a fundamental pillar of the Qur’anic work system in the Emirate of Dubai and contributes to discovering and nurturing Qur’anic talents. He pointed out that the developments witnessed in the current session, including individual nomination, the adoption of electronic arbitration, and the launch of the digital registration platform, reflect the award’s keenness to keep pace with technical developments and facilitate the participation of memorizers from various segments of society.

He added that the diversity of the nationalities of the participants and the broad base of contestants confirm the international status that the competition has reached and its role in enhancing the presence of the Holy Qur’an in the lives of individuals and society, thus consolidating Dubai’s message in supporting Quranic initiatives and spreading tolerant Islamic values.

The twenty-sixth session of the competition witnessed a number of qualitative developments, most notably the adoption of a jury of 100 percent qualified citizens, male and female, in addition to the creation of two new branches for citizens for the first time, namely memorizing ten parts and memorizing one part, which contributes to expanding the participation base and motivating more citizens of the country to join the Qur’anic tracks.

This year, the competition also allowed participation through individual nominations, in addition to nominations through approved Quranic institutions in the country, in addition to launching an electronic website for registration and implementing the electronic arbitration system for the first time, in a step that enhances the efficiency of arbitration procedures and organizing the competition in accordance with best organizational practices.

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