Dubai: An Algerian contestant won the 14th session of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award and was honoured at a ceremony held on Monday at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Awards organisation ended its series of activities for Ramadan with a grand ceremony to honour the top ten winners and the Islamic Personality of the Year.
The award for the Islamic Personality of the Year was presented to Field Marshal Abdul Rahman Siwar Al Dahab, former president of Sudan.
The prize for the Islamic Personality of the Year is Dh1 million. It is awarded for contributions to the Islamic world.
The 20-year-old Algerian contestant earned first place at this year's awards. Out of the 78 entrants eight were ruled out of the competition in the initial stages for poor performance.
The first three winners of the Quran recitation section receive Dh250,000, Dh200,000 and Dh150,000 respectively. The fourth to tenth place winners receive Dh65,000, Dh60,000, Dh55,000, Dh50,000, Dh45,000, Dh40,000 and Dh35,000.
Winners below the tenth position are also rewarded. Those above 80 per cent receive Dh30,000 each, those between 70 and 79 per cent receive Dh25,000 each, and those below 70 per cent receive Dh20,000 each.
Top ten: Roll of honour
1) Mohammad Erchad Merba'i, 20, Algeria
2) Maswoud Ridwan, 13, Bangladesh
3) Mosa'b Eisa Ali, 20, Bahrain
4) Ahmad Yousri Mohammad, 18, Egypt
5) Khalid Abu Bakir Salim, 19, Yemen
6) Khalil Ebrahim Ahmad, 20, Libya
7) Mbwana Assaa Mbwana, 15, Tanzania
8) Ammar Salah Al Deen, 16, Saudi Arabia
9) Nasser Badir Mohammad, 20, Kuwait
10) Mohammad Al Atrash, 16, Morocco (tenth place)
10) Mohammad Othman Abdullah, 18, Sudan (tenth place)
