Introduction
To stand in the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) in Makkah and recite the Quran before a panel of international scholars, with participants from 128 countries watching and the weight of a 1,400-year tradition behind you — this is the King Abdulaziz International Quran Competition. For Hafiz and reciters worldwide, winning Branch 1 of this competition is the highest individual honour the Muslim world can bestow in the field of Quranic memorisation.
Now in its 46th year, the competition is held annually in Makkah under the patronage of the Saudi King and the organisation of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance. This complete guide covers everything a student, teacher, school principal, or parent needs to know: the prize structure, the five branches, how to qualify, what judges look for, and the results of the most recent edition.
Competition Overview
The King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorising, Reciting, and Interpreting the Holy Quran is organised and supervised by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
| Feature | Detail |
| Full name | King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorising, Reciting, and Interpreting the Holy Quran |
| Arabic name | مسابقة الملك عبدالعزيز الدولية لحفظ القرآن الكريم وتجويده وتفسيره |
| Established | 1399 AH (1979 CE) |
| Current edition | 46th |
| Venue | Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram), Makkah, Saudi Arabia |
| Organiser | Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance |
| Season | August (Dhul Hijjah) |
| Prize pool | SAR 4 million (~$1.07M USD) |
| Participants (45th, 2025) | 179 contestants from 128 countries |
The competition takes place during the Dhul Hijjah season — the final month of the Islamic calendar — which coincides with the Hajj pilgrimage. This is deeply intentional: contestants come from across the Muslim world at the same time as the global pilgrimage, placing Quranic excellence at the heart of the annual gathering of Islam.
The 45th edition (2025) set a record for the highest number of participating nations since the competition’s inception — 128 countries, with 179 contestants. This figure alone speaks to the competition’s global standing: virtually every majority-Muslim nation and a growing number of Muslim-minority nations send representatives.
The Five Branches: What Each Tests
The competition is structured across five distinct branches, each testing a different depth of Quranic mastery. A contestant enters only one branch.
| Branch | Scope | What is tested | 1st Prize (SAR) | 1st Prize (approx. USD) |
| Branch 1 | Complete Quran (30 Juz) + Seven Modes (Sab’ah Qira’at) + Accurate Recitation | Memorisation + mastery of all seven canonical recitation modes + Tajweed | 500,000 | ~133,000 |
| Branch 2 | Complete Quran + Interpretation (Tafsir) + Accurate Recitation | Memorisation + Tajweed + ability to explain and interpret Quranic verses | ~350,000 | ~93,000 |
| Branch 3 | Complete Quran (30 Juz) + Accurate Recitation + Tajweed | Full memorisation with Tajweed precision | 200,000 | ~53,000 |
| Branch 4 | 15 Juz memorisation + Accurate Recitation + Tajweed | Half the Quran memorised with Tajweed | 120,000 | ~32,000 |
| Branch 5 | 5 Juz memorisation + Accurate Recitation + Tajweed | Five consecutive parts memorised with Tajweed | 55,000 | ~14,700 |
Branch 1 is widely considered the most prestigious. The requirement to master all seven canonical modes of Quranic recitation (Qira’at Sab’ah) — not just the standard Hafs narration — represents the highest level of formal Quranic scholarship. Competitors in Branch 1 must have complete Hifz of the full 30 Juz plus the ability to recite the Quran in each of the seven modes on request. This combination of memorisation breadth and technical mastery has no equivalent in any other international competition.
Branch 2 tests a dimension that is rare in competitions: Tafsir (Quranic interpretation). Contestants must memorise the complete Quran, recite with Tajweed, and demonstrate understanding of the text’s meaning and scholarly commentary. This branch appeals to students with advanced Islamic academic training.
Branches 3, 4, and 5 are designed as accessible entry points, allowing young Hafiz who have completed different amounts of memorisation to participate at the international level. Branch 5 (5 Juz) in particular creates a pathway for young students who are still completing their Hifz journey.
Prize Structure
The total prize pool of SAR 4 million (~$1.07 million USD) is distributed across all five branches across three placing positions.
| Branch | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
| Branch 1 | SAR 500,000 | SAR 450,000 | SAR 400,000 |
| Branch 2 | SAR 350,000 | SAR 325,000 | SAR 300,000 |
| Branch 3 | SAR 200,000 | SAR 185,000 | SAR 170,000 |
| Branch 4 | SAR 120,000 | SAR 110,000 | SAR 100,000 |
| Branch 5 | SAR 55,000 | SAR 50,000 | SAR 45,000 |
Source: Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs; SAR/USD conversion at approximately 0.267. Actual conversion varies by exchange rate at time of disbursement.
Winners also receive cultural and heritage programme benefits: guided visits to Makkah and Madinah historical landmarks, hospitality for the duration of the competition, and return travel arrangements managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
How to Qualify and Enter
The King Abdulaziz competition is not open to direct individual applications. Entry is managed through national governments and religious authorities.
Step 1 — National-level selection: Each country typically selects one or two representatives per gender per branch through its own national Quran competition infrastructure. In Saudi Arabia, the national competition feeds directly into the international event. In other countries, the national Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Supreme Islamic Council, or equivalent body runs a selection process.
Step 2 — Ministerial nomination: The selected student’s details are submitted by the country’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs (or equivalent) to the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs through diplomatic channels. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia supports this process and accords the competition top priority.
Step 3 — Registration and travel: Once accepted, the Saudi Ministry arranges all logistics for participants arriving from outside Saudi Arabia, including visa facilitation, accommodation, and cultural programme participation.
Practical advice for students and teachers: If you or a student you teach wants to participate, contact your country’s relevant authority early. In Pakistan, this is the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony. In Malaysia, JAKIM. In India, state Waqf Boards or the Ministry of Minority Affairs may be the appropriate route. In the UK and USA, contact your Islamic Affairs office at the Saudi Embassy or consulate for guidance.
| Country | Pathway |
| Pakistan | Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony |
| Malaysia | JAKIM (Dept. of Islamic Development Malaysia) |
| India | State Waqf Boards / Ministry of Minority Affairs |
| UK / USA | Saudi Embassy Islamic Affairs office |
| Most countries | National Ministry of Islamic Affairs or equivalent |
Competition Format and Judging
The competition runs over multiple days with preliminary and final rounds held within the Grand Mosque precincts.
Preliminary rounds: contestants are assessed by the judging panel across the scope of their registered branch. For Branch 1, this includes demonstration of all seven Qira’at modes. For Branches 3–5, testing focuses on the scope of memorised text plus Tajweed quality.
Testing method: judges use an electronic question bank system introduced and upgraded through the 44th and 45th editions. The system randomly selects verses for contestants, ensuring fairness and eliminating any possibility of pre-arrangement. Results are calculated in real time via an electronic control panel that monitors the judging committee.
Judging panel: an international panel of scholars evaluates participants based on accuracy, Tajweed precision, fluency of recitation, and (in Branch 2) Tafsir knowledge. Judges are respected scholars from multiple countries.
Electronic judging upgrade (45th edition): the 2025 competition saw a significant upgrade to the electronic judging system, including faster and more accurate scoring, automated tracking of verse sequences, automated contestant ranking, and instant results documentation — all in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 digital transformation goals.
2025 Winners (45th Edition)
The 45th edition (2025) was held August 9–20, 2025, at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
| Branch | 1st Place | Country | Prize (SAR) |
| Branch 1 | Mohammad Adam Mohamed | Chad | 500,000 |
| Branch 1 (2nd) | Anas bin Majid Abdullah Al Hazmi | Saudi Arabia | 450,000 |
| Branch 1 (3rd) | Sanusi Bukhari Idris | Nigeria | 400,000 |
| Branch 2 | Mansoor bin Mutab Awad Al Harbi | Saudi Arabia | 350,000 |
| Branch 3 | Mohamed Damaj Al Shuway’i | Yemen | 200,000 |
| Branch 4 | Nasr Abdel Majeed Abdul Hameed Amir | Egypt | 150,000 (est.) |
| Branch 5 | Anwa Intarat | Thailand | 65,000 |
Source: Saudi Press Agency (SPA), ummid.com, IQNA; August 2025.
The diversity of winning nations in the 45th edition — Chad, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Yemen, Egypt, Thailand — reflects the genuinely global nature of the competition and the remarkable spread of Quranic excellence across the Muslim world. Chad’s Mohammad Adam Mohamed, who won the top prize of SAR 500,000 in Branch 1, was described by award ceremony attendees as an exceptional reciter who combined complete mastery of multiple Qira’at modes with outstanding Tajweed.
How This Competition Compares
| Feature | King Abdulaziz (Saudi) | DIHQA (Dubai) | MTHQA (Malaysia) | Katara (Qatar) |
| Focus | Hifz + Qira’at + Tafsir | Recitation beauty | Tilawah + Hafazan | Recitation / Tilawah |
| Prize pool | SAR 4M (~$1.07M) | AED 12M+ (~$3.3M) | RM 90,000+ | QAR 1.5M (~$412K) |
| Top prize | SAR 500,000 | $1,000,000 | RM 40,000 | QAR 500,000 |
| Participants (latest) | 179 from 128 countries | International (open) | 72 from 50 countries | 611+ from 60+ countries |
| Entry pathway | Government nomination | Personal / institutional | National screening | Direct application |
| Season | August | Ramadan | August–October | Ramadan |
| Prestige focus | Hifz + Qira’at mastery | Most beautiful recitation | Oldest continuous event | Television broadcast |
The King Abdulaziz competition is supreme in Hifz prestige — there is no higher honour specifically for Hafiz. The DIHQA now surpasses it in raw prize value, but the two competitions are not strictly comparable: DIHQA is a recitation award; King Abdulaziz is fundamentally a Hifz and Quranic scholarship competition.
Preparing to Compete
For a student or teacher preparing for the King Abdulaziz competition, several factors are non-negotiable:
Complete and consistent Hifz: for Branches 3–5, the relevant Juz must be memorised with absolute accuracy. For Branch 1, full 30-Juz Hifz plus mastery of all seven Qira’at modes is required — this represents many years of advanced study with qualified teachers.
Tajweed precision: the judging system tracks every Tajweed error. Lahn Jali (major errors) are particularly penalised. Students must work with a qualified Tajweed teacher over a sustained period, not just in the weeks before competition.
Consistency of revision: the Sabak/Dhor/Manzil revision framework used in South Asian Hifz schools — and tracked by Ilmify’s Hifz module — is the mechanism by which long-term memorisation stays fresh and error-free. A Hafiz who neglects Dhor (revision of older portions) will find their earlier memorisation deteriorating precisely when it needs to be at its best.
Early Qira’at study for Branch 1: students aiming for Branch 1 need to begin studying the seven canonical modes years before competition, working with teachers who hold Ijazah in each mode.
Conclusion
The King Abdulaziz International Quran Competition is the apex of the global Hifz world — the destination that the world’s finest memorisers work toward across years of study. With 128 countries represented in its most recent edition, a prize pool of SAR 4 million, and the Grand Mosque as its venue, it carries an authority and prestige that no other Quran competition has matched.
For Islamic schools and Hifz centres, the competition’s existence is both an inspiration and a practical benchmark. The standards it demands — complete Hifz, multiple Qira’at, Tajweed precision — are the same standards that rigorous Hifz programmes should aspire to. Consistently tracking each student’s progress through Sabak, Sabak Para, and Dhor is the foundation.
👉 See How Ilmify Supports Hifz Programme Management →
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