Today's Edition
Dubai (Aletihad)
The Dubai International Holy Quran Award, which is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has witnessed a significant leap in the number of registered Quran memorizers for its 28th edition in 2026, reinforcing one of the key objectives of its new developmental vision "In search of the most beautiful Quran recitation".
With the registration period concluding today, the award received 5,618 applications from 105 countries across various continents, with 30% of applications submitted under the female category.
Global Interest Reinforces the Award’s Standing
His Excellency Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi, Director General of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, reiterated that this overwhelming interest from male and female Quran memorizers reflects the exceptional success of the developmental vision initiated by the patron of the award, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
This vision aims to broaden international participation and affirms Dubai’s leading role in serving the Holy Quran and establishing itself as a global hub for honoring memorizers and scholars and institutions that serve the Holy Quran.
He added that this record-breaking participation is a result of the qualitative enhancements introduced in the 28th edition, most notably the introduction of a dedicated category for female participants for the first time, allowing direct personal nomination in addition to the traditional nominations by a participant’s country or by a recognized Islamic center.
The prize money was also increased, bringing the total value of the award’s prizes to over Dh12 million, with the first-place winner in both the male and female categories receiving $1 million.
His Excellency also emphasized that the award has firmly established itself as the largest and most prestigious award honoring Quran memorizers, thanks to the continuous support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He noted that this edition marks a new turning point in the award’s history, further elevating its status and enhancing Dubai’s global contributions to serving the Holy Quran, encouraging its memorization, and spreading its noble values and teachings.
Wide International Participation
Ibrahim Jasem Al Mansouri, Acting Director of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, stated that the 28th edition received applications from across the globe, including Arab and Islamic countries as well as Muslim communities in various non-Muslim countries. Egypt topped the list with 1,410 applications, followed by Pakistan (571), Indonesia (505), India (391), Morocco (248), Syria (211), Bangladesh (211), Iraq (187), Nigeria (133), and Yemen (132).
He added that significant numbers of applications were received from Quran memorizers in the United States, Canada, Russia, and European countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. Applications were also submitted from many other countries across Asia and Africa, in addition to New Zealand.
Al Mansouri pointed out that this level of global interest aligns with the goals of the award’s new developmental vision, through which Dubai aims to expand its influential role in serving the Holy Quran, promoting its memorization, encouraging excellence in recitation and understanding of its sciences, and instilling its values and teachings among the younger generation. He stressed that this growing international interest motivates the award to accelerate efforts and develop more initiatives, programs, and tools to encourage a greater number of countries, institutions, and individuals to engage positively in Quran memorization and recitation, and deepen their connection to its sciences.
Preliminary Evaluation Stage Underway
The Dubai International Holy Quran Award received 5,816 applications during the registration period, which ran from May 21 to July 20.
Of these, 30% were submitted under the female category. All eligible applications have entered the preliminary evaluation stage, which began early July and will continue until the end of the month.
Qualified applicants from the preliminary round will move to the second stage, which will involve direct video calls between the memorizers and the evaluation committee. This phase will run from September 1 to 30. Finalists will then advance to the final evaluation round, which will take place in person in Dubai during the second week of Ramadan.
A Developmental Vision with Groundbreaking Additions
The Dubai International Holy Quran Award had previously announced a new developmental vision for its 28th edition (1447H – 2026), aimed at making the award more distinguished and impactful. This reaffirms Dubai’s leading role in serving the Holy Quran and strengthens its position as a global center for honoring Quran memorizers from around the world. The new edition includes significant additions that build on the award’s legacy of 28 years.
The total value of the award’s prizes has been raised to over Dh12 million, with the first-place winner in both the male and female memorization categories receiving $1 million each.
The prize value for the Islamic Personality of the Year has also been increased to $1 million.
Among the groundbreaking updates in this edition is the introduction of a dedicated category for female participants, bringing the total number of categories to three: Full Quran Memorization – Male, Full Quran Memorization – Female, and the Islamic Personality of the Year Award. Participants may now apply through direct personal nomination, via a recognized Islamic center, or through official bodies worldwide. The developmental vision also includes expanding the scope of international participation, modernizing nomination, evaluation, and judging procedures, and launching new initiatives to enhance the quality and performance of participants.
