The Dubai International Holy Quran Award witnesses an unprecedented turnout with entries exceeding 12,000 applications from 120 countries.

The Dubai International Holy Quran Award witnessed an unprecedented turnout in participation in the 29th session of the year (1448 AH – 2027 AD), as the total number of nominations received for the award during the first two weeks only of the opening of registration reached more than 12,000 participants and participants belonging to 120 nationalities around the world, which represents a more than double jump compared to the total number of entries in the previous 28th session, which recorded 5,618 applications for participation from 105 countries.

This record turnout of entries reflects the exceptional success of the comprehensive development vision, “We are searching for the most beautiful Quranic voice in the world,” launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, which brought about a qualitative shift in the award’s status, its international influence, and its competitive incentives, consolidating the position of the Emirate of Dubai as the first global beacon in the service of the Holy Book of God.

Certificate of trust

Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi, Director General of the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, confirmed that this exceptional leap in international participation in the award is the result of the generous patronage and direct directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, may God protect him, as His Highness wanted the award to be the highest and most beautiful platform for competition in reading the Book of God, and what we see today of the great demand for talents from various continents confirms that Dubai’s cultural message And spirituality reaches a wider range of hearts around the world.

He said: “The number of those wishing to participate reached more than 12,000 competitors from 120 countries within a short period of time represents a certificate of global trust in the award, and proves the merit of the fundamental updates introduced to the categories, the value of the rewards, and the nomination mechanisms, in attracting exceptional audio materials and memorization capabilities. Through this broad participation, the award works to create a unique global Qur’anic and cultural movement that enhances interest in the Holy Qur’an, its sciences, the aesthetics of the Qur’anic text, and the sweetness of its recitation, and we are preparing to receive The elite of those who qualified during this movement in Dubai to perfume our mosques with their voices and for the masses to join in celebrating them.”

Broad international response

The website of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award witnessed a wide response from various continents of the world, to include contributions from Arab countries, Middle Eastern countries, and Arab and Islamic communities in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, in a Qur’anic and cultural movement that reflects the universality of the message that the award carries.

The qualitative additions and exceptional incentives included in the award’s development vision contributed to the continuous growth of this broad international interaction. At the forefront of these additions was the allocation of financial rewards, which are the largest in Qur’anic competitions with a total value exceeding 12 million dirhams. The first winner in the male category over 16 years old will be honored with a prize worth one million dollars, and the first winner in the male and female category under 16 years old will be honored with a prize worth one million dollars, while the second winner from each of the two categories will be honored with a prize worth 100 dollars. One thousand dollars, and the third winner in each of the two categories will receive a prize worth 50 thousand dollars. The international Qur’anic figure will also be awarded one million dollars.

The decision to provide direct personal nomination, in addition to the usual nomination from the participant’s own country or by an accredited Islamic center, contributed to bringing about this major transformation, as it gave exceptional talents and memorizers of the Holy Qur’an in various countries the opportunity to present their visual recitations with ease and without any restrictions.

The exceptional initiative of hosting the elite finalists to lead the worshipers in Tarawih prayers in the major mosques in Dubai during the holy month of Ramadan, and providing direct public voting for the most beautiful voices during the final qualifying stage to choose the most beautiful Qur’anic voice, added faith dimensions that make the award a live experience awaited by the public and interacted with by millions around the world.

Accurate evaluation system

As the pace of registration accelerates, it is scheduled to continue until August 15, 2026 via the award’s website (www.quran.gov.aeThe award committees have intensified their efforts to sort and evaluate thousands of applications for participation. All entries are subject to a precise preliminary evaluation system that relies on the highest standards of intonation, beauty of voice, and good performance and recitation.

The judging teams are working on choosing the best voices that will move to the next stages, where the award tests for the category of males over 16 years old are conducted according to two stages. The first stage is to select the sweetest voices for the contestants by recording a 3-minute visual recitation (video) from any part of the Holy Qur’an with appropriate quality. The sweetest voices for the contestants are chosen based on the beauty of the voice, good performance, and adherence to the rules of intonation. This stage continues until next August 15, and the second stage is represented by voting for the most beautiful Qur’anic voice in the following stages. The world, where a group of the best distinguished contestants are selected and hosted in the Emirate of Dubai during the holy month of Ramadan, to lead the worshipers in Tarawih prayers in major mosques, and voting is conducted by the public, and this stage continues from February 8 – 16, 2027.

The award tests are conducted for the category of males and females under 16 years old, according to 3 stages. The first stage lasts until August 15, and is represented by selecting the sweetest voices for the contestants based on the beauty of the voice, good performance, and adherence to the rules of intonation, by recording a 3-minute video recitation from any part of the Holy Qur’an with appropriate quality. The second stage lasts from September 1-14, 2026, where judging takes place via direct video communication, and in the third stage, voting for the most beautiful Qur’anic voice in the world takes place during The period is from February 8 – 16, 2027, leading to the closing ceremony to crown the winners in the second week of the holy month of Ramadan.

It is noteworthy that the Dubai International Holy Quran Award has established its prestigious global position through several achievements achieved over the course of 28 sessions, where 7,826 contestants from 123 countries participated in its competitions, and the total value of the rewards provided by the award since the launch of the first session amounted to more than 67 million dirhams, while the award has honored 24 individuals and 3 institutions throughout its course with the International Qur’anic Personality Award.