Dubai: The annual Dubai International Holy Quran Award (DIHQA) started on Sunday night with Islamic lectures.
The 18th edition features around 87 contestants, from as many countries, who compete in Quran memorisation and recitation contests.
On Monday, DIHQA is also expected to announce its Islamic Personality of the Year award, worth Dh1 million.
The 21-day event includes lectures in Arabic and South East Asian languages, reflecting the major expatriate communities in the UAE, for roughly the first week of DIHQA.
The presentations are followed by the main component of Quran competitions, watched by millions of viewers worldwide on satellite TV channels.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DIHQA ends on July 19 with a grand closing ceremony. The lecturers and contests are held at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Deira. However, the closing ceremony will take place at the Cultural and Scientific Association building in Al Mamzar.
The announcement was made by Ebrahim Bu Melha, chairman of the organising committee of the DIHQA, last week.
The lectures start at 10.30pm and will take place at three different venues: the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (for men and women) from June 29 to July 4; Women Association Dubai (for women only) from June 29 to July 10, and Social Reform Society (open to all communities) from July 9 to July 19.
