Nigerian wins Dh250,000 in Quran contest

Dubai: There were tears of joy as family and well-wishers congratulated winners of the Dubai International Holy Quran (DIHQA) at a closing ceremony in Dubai on Friday night.

Loved ones and fans hugged winners on stage immediately after the finale of the18th session of DIHQA, held at the Cultural and Scientific Association in Al Mamzar area.

Earlier in the night, the winners were awarded by Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

The overall winner was Nigerian contestant Sulaiman Isah, a Quran memoriser, who was awarded Dh250,000.

Also honoured was the Islamic Personality of the Year — Dr Ahmad Al Tayyeb — Grand Mufti of the Al Azhar religious institution in Egypt. He received Dh1 million as part of the award.

The first runner-up was Omar Baeisa from Saudi Arabia, who won Dh200,000; while the third position went to Mohammad Yasin from Yemen, who won Dh150,000.

The other top 10 contestants won cash prizes between Dh65,000 and Dh35,000.

This year, two contestants who scored identical marks were ranked eight and ‘second eight’.

Meanwhile, contestants who scored 80 per cent and above were rewarded with Dh30,000 each, while those whose performance scored 70-79 per cent received Dh25,000 each.

Participants with scores below 70 per cent got Dh20,000 each.

Apart from the top 10 winners, the DIHQA jury was also facilitated on stage.

The ceremony began with three top contestants in the ‘Beautiful Voices’ category reciting a short portion of the Quran. It was followed by videos about DIHQA’s history, an exemplary Quran memoriser, and Dr Al Tayyeb.

Later on, Ebrahim Bu Melha, chairman of the DIHQA organising committee, and Dr Al Tayyeb addressed the audience.

Bu Melha said the Award, which started with two sections in 1997, has now branched out to 12 categories this year and has seen the participation of 160 countries over its 18-year history.

“This is basically due to the incessant support of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,” he added.

DIHQA is held every Ramadan under the patronage of Shaikh Mohammad. The contest judges the best memorisers and reciters of the Quran from participating countries.

This year 80 countries had confirmed participation but two contestants did not show up. Also, seven were disqualified for below-level performances.

DIHQA also hosts Islamic lecturers and raffle prizes for the audience. The contest is held at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry after the long Taraweeh night prayers in Ramadan.

Children and teens from non-Arab countries make a sizeable representation each year. The latest round also saw a prominent presence of contestants from Africa.