Qatar: Katara Honors Winners of the 2026 Quran Recitation Award
Doha –
The Qatar Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) has announced the top five
winners of the 9th edition of the Katara Quran Recitation Award for 2026.
The
first prize was awarded to reciter Mohammed Al-Wafi Idris Hamad from Libya,
valued at QAR 500,000 (approximately USD 137,000). The second place went to
Dirgham Jihadi Khudair from Iraq, receiving QAR 400,000 (around USD 110,000).
Mehdi
Gholam Nejad from Iran secured the third prize of QAR 300,000 (approximately
USD 82,000), followed by Seyed Mostafa Hosseini, also from Iran, in fourth
place with QAR 200,000 (around USD 55,000). The fifth prize was awarded to
Ahmad Safi Al-Halabi from Syria, valued at QAR 100,000 (about USD 27,000).
The Katara Generation
The
winners are aged between their mid-twenties and late thirties, representing the
age group most actively participating in the award’s various editions. All five
have been closely connected to the Quran since childhood and are professionally
involved in its teaching and recitation in their respective countries. The
first prize winner, Mohammed Al-Wafi Idris Hamad, is also known for composing
religious hymns that promote Islamic values and encourage youth to uphold them.
The
winners expressed pride in receiving the award, describing it as one of the
most prestigious in the Arab and Islamic world due to its transparent judging
process, meticulous organization, and significant material and moral value.
Official Ceremony and Growing Global Reach
The
winners were officially crowned by Dr. Khalid Al Sulaiti, Director-General of
Katara, during a live broadcast on Qatar TV.
Dr. Al
Sulaiti highlighted the award’s growing international presence, noting a record
of 611 entries from 46 foreign countries in this edition, compared to 655
entries from 17 Arab nations.
Rigorous Judging Standards
The
judging panel agreed that the 9th edition was particularly competitive, with
closely matched participants, making the evaluation process more challenging. A
preliminary committee selected 100 participants from 20 countries for the final
round, including 53 from Arab nations and 47 from non-Arab countries.
The
Katara Quran Recitation Award was launched in March 2017 to discover
outstanding Quran reciters in accordance with Tajweed rules, while promoting
the award’s global recognition.
Source:
Al Jazeera
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