Dubai Quran Award Draws Record 20,500 Applications From 135 Countries

The Dubai International Holy Quran Award has received 20,500 applications from 135 countries for its 29th edition, marking the highest international participation in the competition’s history.

Egypt recorded the largest number of applications with 6,838, followed by Indonesia with 1,923, Pakistan with 1,862 and Syria with 1,511. The male category for contestants over 16 received 14,040 applications, while the under-16 category for male and female participants drew 6,495 entries, including 2,394 girls.

The increase follows changes introduced for the 1448H–2027 edition, including allowing individuals to apply directly rather than relying only on nominations through home countries or accredited Islamic centres. The award also introduced changes to its categories, eligibility requirements and evaluation process.

More than AED 12 million in prize money will be awarded, the largest total in the competition’s history. First place in each of the two main categories carries a $1 million prize, while second and third place receive $100,000 and $50,000 respectively. The Global Quranic Personality Award also carries a $1 million prize.

Applicants are currently being assessed on Tajweed, vocal quality, recitation and overall performance. Contestants over 16 who pass the preliminary stage will advance to public voting, with selected finalists invited to Dubai during Ramadan to lead Taraweeh prayers at major mosques. Voting will take place from February 8th to 16th, 2027.

For contestants under 16, the second stage will take place through live video judging from September 1st to 14th, 2026, before finalists proceed to the same February public voting stage.

Across its previous 28 editions, the award has hosted 7,826 contestants from 123 countries and distributed more than AED 67 million in prize money.