The Dubai International Holy Quran Award, affiliated with the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai, announced the conclusion of the 26th edition of the Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum Quran Competition for the year 2025. This year’s edition witnessed remarkable attendance and an unprecedented number of participants, reflecting the distinguished status of the competition and its growing role in serving the Holy Quran and promoting a culture of memorization and excellence within the UAE community and among residents across the nation.

A total of 1,666 male and female participants of various ages and categories took part in this edition, including 868 males and 798 females, marking a positive indicator of the diversity and broad reach of the competition. Participants represented 55 nationalities from Arab, Asian, African, and European countries. Emirati nationals topped the list with 1,028 participants, the highest number of citizens ever recorded in the competition’s history, followed by participants from Egypt, India, Pakistan, and Syria. The age group between 10 and 20 years constituted the largest segment, underscoring the strong interest of younger generations in the Holy Quran and the commitment of Quranic institutions in the UAE to support and empower them.

Participants competed across seven specialized categories covering different levels of memorization, from memorizing the entire Holy Quran to categories designated for younger participants such as Juzʾ ‘Amma. The categories dedicated to children witnessed particularly strong turnout, especially the seventh category, which attracted the highest number of applicants. Following online preliminary testing, 112 participants qualified for the final stage, which was held in person at the Award’s headquarters, where they underwent rigorous evaluations by accredited national judging panels.

In this context, H.E. Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award and Director General of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai, affirmed that the Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum Competition has become a well-established platform that attracts distinguished memorizers from various nationalities across the UAE. He emphasized that the growing interest reflects the vision of the wise leadership and its commitment to supporting Quranic initiatives that contribute to nurturing a generation proficient in the Book of Allah.

His Excellency noted that this year’s technological advancements—introducing a new digital registration platform and implementing a comprehensive electronic judging system—constitute a strategic step that enhances efficiency, ensures accuracy, accelerates procedures, and improves transparency and evaluation quality, in alignment with Dubai’s smart-government vision.

He also expressed profound gratitude to Her Highness Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum for her generous patronage and continuous support of Quranic initiatives, emphasizing that her blessed contributions have significantly strengthened the competition’s presence and mission, enabling participants to compete in an elevated Quranic environment that embodies the values of goodness and generosity for which the UAE is renowned.

This edition also witnessed several qualitative developments that enhanced organizational quality and operational efficiency. These included the launch of a modern electronic registration platform—implemented for the first time in the competition’s history—along with the adoption of the fully integrated electronic judging system. Furthermore, a 100% national judging committee composed of qualified Quran scholars was formed. Two new categories dedicated to Emirati citizens were also introduced: memorization of ten Juzʾ and memorization of Juzʾ ‘Amma, reflecting the Award’s commitment to expanding its target segments and encouraging broader community participation. The competition was held in two consecutive phases: online preliminary examinations followed by in-person finals for qualified participants, conducted in a newly equipped, state-of-the-art judging hall.

For his part, Ibrahim Jassim Al Mansouri, Acting Director of the Award, stated that the 26th edition represented an exceptional organizational and societal success. He noted that the record-high participation of Emirati citizens is an achievement worthy of recognition and that the wide participation of contestants from 55 nationalities reflects the UAE’s humanitarian spirit and cultural diversity. He emphasized the Award’s commitment to advancing its tools and methods to ensure a distinguished and inspirational competitive environment for Quran memorizers across all categories.

The finalists and winners are scheduled to be honored in a special ceremony held during the blessed month of Ramadan 1447 AH / 2026 CE, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai—may Allah protect him. This closing ceremony highlights the exceptional level of excellence achieved by the competition and reflects the esteemed position held by the memorizers of the Holy Quran in the UAE.