Deputy Governor of Makkah Honors Winners of 43rd King Abdulaziz Quran Competition

• The 43rd edition of the King Abdulaziz International Quran Memorization, Recitation, and Interpretation Competition was held.
• The competition was organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance at the premises of the Grand Mosque.
• A total of 166 contestants from 117 countries participated in the competition.

Makkah Al-Mukarramah – Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may Allah protect him, and on his behalf, His Royal Highness Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Governor of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, honored the winners of the King Abdulaziz International Quran Memorization, Recitation, and Interpretation Competition in its 43rd edition.

The competition had total prizes of 4,000,000 Saudi Riyals and was organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance at the premises of the Grand Mosque, with the participation of 166 contestants from 117 countries.

The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, scholars, sheikhs, Arab and Islamic ambassadors, government officials, security leaders, and a group of preachers and mosque imams from the Makkah Al-Mukarramah region.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Royal Highness and the attendees listened to recitations from some of the contestants, followed by a visual presentation about the competition, its objectives, and the developmental stages it has undergone in recent years, thanks to the outstanding organization by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.

Following that, a speech was delivered on behalf of the contestants by Mr. Abdullah bin Naiman bin Ateeq from the Sultanate of Oman.

He said, “It is a great blessing from Allah for me and my fellow contestants to have the opportunity to participate and compete in this prestigious and distinguished competition, which aims to motivate the Muslim youth worldwide to excel in memorizing the Holy Quran. I would like to express my gratitude to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance, and especially to His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Abdul Latif bin Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, for their hospitality and warm welcome.”

Next, His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Abdul Latif bin Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, the General Supervisor of the competition and the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance, delivered a speech in which he welcomed His Royal Highness Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Governor of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, as well as other dignitaries and attendees.

He said, “I am pleased to welcome you to this blessed night, beside the Kaaba, in the premises of the Grand Mosque, for the closing ceremony of the King Abdulaziz International Quran Memorization, Recitation, and Interpretation Competition in its 43rd edition, under the patronage of our master, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may Allah protect him.”

He continued, “Allah sealed His messages with the message of His Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and revealed to him the greatest book, the Noble Quran, making its meanings and words accessible to His servants. He honored those whom He chose among His servants with the task of preserving and disseminating it. Allah has indeed honored the kings of this land, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with this noble mission.

This blessed land has played a leading role in the field of Quran education, printing, and dissemination from the time of King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, may Allah have mercy on him, to the era of my master, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, may Allah protect them.”

He further highlighted the efforts of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance in serving this Quranic competition, which holds great significance for Muslims around the world.

He noted the substantial increase in the number of participating countries in this year’s edition, with a total of 117 countries, making it the largest participation in the history of the competition. He also mentioned the generous prize money of 4 million Saudi Riyals awarded this year.

His Excellency extended his congratulations to the winning students and praised their dedication to Quran memorization. He emphasized the importance of acting upon the Quran’s teachings and thanked the scholars and leaders who participated in judging the competition.

In conclusion, His Excellency prayed for the safety, security, and stability of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and asked Allah to bestow His mercy and blessings upon the late King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, may Allah have mercy on him, and to reward him generously for his contributions to Islam and the Muslims.

He also prayed for the well-being and success of the Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in his efforts to serve Islam and the Muslims and to build a model that Muslims around the world can be proud of.

He expressed gratitude to all those who attended the ceremony, especially His Royal Highness Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, for honoring the Quranic scholars and exceptional memorizers. He concluded by thanking Allah for the success of the event.

Here is the translation of the statement from the video of the Minister of Islamic Affairs:

“May Allah forgive those who have transgressed against me, and I pray that Allah pardons them.

We ask Allah to enable us to fulfill, even if it’s just a small part of what this great nation deserves. We work in a country under the leadership of sincere, truthful, and trustworthy leaders. We pray to Allah to help us fulfill our duty towards our society, our leadership, and our nation.”