International Quran Competitions International Quran competitions bring together contestants from many countries. Entry routes vary: some take direct applications, others only contestants nominated by their country. Registration windows are often months before the final, so check early.
Major ones have their own guides: Dubai and Malaysia MTHQA .
17 upcoming, 35 past
Qur'an Upcoming
42nd King Abdulaziz Int'l Qur'an Competition
Category Hifz & Qira'ah
Date Late 2026 (TBC)
Location Makkah, Saudi Arabia Qur'an Upcoming
International Qur'an Competition – UIN Mahmud Yunus Batusangkar
Category Tilawah, Tartil & Hifz (university students)
Date Register 18 Sep – 20 Oct; finals 28 Nov 2026
Location Indonesia / Online Qur'an Upcoming
29th Dubai International Holy Quran Award (1448H)
Category Hifz & Tilawah (international)
Date Online heats Jul – Sep 2026; final & ceremony Ramadan 2027
Location Dubai, UAE Qur'an Upcoming
Lisbon International Qur'an Competition 2027
Date 2027 (dates TBA)
Location Lisbon, Portugal Qur'an Upcoming
10th Katara Prize for Quran Recitation
Category Recitation (international)
Date 2026–27 (applications closed 30 Sep 2026)
Location Katara, Doha, Qatar Qur'an Upcoming
Jordan Ministry of Awqaf Intl Competition
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Annual
Location Amman, Jordan Qur'an Upcoming
Malaysia Intl Quran Recital Competition
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Annual
Location Kuala Lumpur Qur'an Upcoming
Tanzania Intl Holy Quran Award (34th)
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Annual (Apr)
Location Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Qur'an Upcoming
Bahrain Intl Quran Recitation Competition (Global Reciter)
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Biannual (Online → Bahrain Final)
Location Manama, Bahrain Qur'an Upcoming
Toronto Intl Quran Competition 2025
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Annual — next edition TBC
Location Toronto, Canada Qur'an Upcoming
Nigeria International Quran Competition
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Annual — next edition TBC
Location Jos / Abuja, Nigeria Qur'an Upcoming
مسابقة القرآن الكبرى (The Grand Quran Competition) - صوتك بالقرآن يغير العالم
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date TBC
Location Online / global Qur'an Upcoming
The American International Quran Competition (Tibyan Center)
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Annual – 2026 dates TBC
Location Ohio, USA Qur'an Upcoming
International Holy Quran Competition for the Balkan Countries
Date 2026 (dates TBC)
Location North Macedonia Qur'an Upcoming
Emirates International Award for the Holy Quran 2026
Date 2026–27 (registration closed 31 Aug 2026)
Location UAE (citizens & residents) Qur'an Hifz Upcoming
19th Toronto Int'l Hifz & Qira'atul Qur'an Competition
Category Hifz & Qira'at
Date From 24 Oct 2026
Location Scarborough (Toronto), Canada Qur'an Hifz Upcoming
Al Furqaan 2nd Anniversary International Hifdh Competition 2026
Category Hifz: Juz Amma, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 juz & full Qur'an
Date Online semi-finals from 17 Oct 2026
Location Online (Al Furqaan International Huffaz Academy, India) Past competitions (35 ) Qur'an Hifz Past
Internationaler Quran-Wettbewerb Deutschland 2026
Category Hifz (Juz Amma to whole Qur'an)
Date 1 – 5 Oct 2026
Location Hamburg, Germany Qur'an Hifz Past
32nd European International Quran Competition (Zagreb)
Category Memorisation & recitation (European, international jury)
Date 24 – 26 Sep 2026
Location Zagreb, Croatia Qur'an Past
Iqra International Qur'aan Recital Award – Finals 2026
Category Qur'an recital
Date 18 – 20 Sep 2026
Location Cape Town, South Africa Qur'an Hifz Past
20th Mohammed VI International Quran Competition
Category Hifz, recitation & tajweed (international)
Date From 11 Aug 2026
Location Rabat, Morocco Qur'an Past
King Abdulaziz Intl Quran Competition — 46th
Category Qur'an & Hifz (334 contestants, 133 countries; women's contest for the first time)
Date 6 – 19 Aug 2026
Location Makkah, Saudi Arabia Qur'an Past
Studio Arabiya 16th Intl Quran Comp 2026
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date 2026
Location USA (online) Qur'an Past
جائزة القارئ المتقن الدولية بجنوب أفريقيا (The International Prize for the Quran competiti
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Thursday 24 Muharram 1448 / 9 July 2026 to Sunday 27 Muharram 1448 / 1
Location Cape Town, South Africa
Qur'an Past
28th Dubai Int'l Holy Qur'an Award
Category Qur'an (Male & Female)
Date Closed 2 Mar 2026
Location Dubai, UAE Qur'an Past
Dubai Intl Holy Quran Award (IHQA) — 28th
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Ramadan 2026
Location Dubai, UAE Qur'an Past
Anamfal International Quran Competition 2026 (MHQ Ramadan)
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Ramadan 2026 (Feb 1–28)
Location Cirebon, Indonesia (online) Qur'an Past
9th Katara Prize for Quran Recitation
Category Recitation (international, televised in Ramadan)
Date Registration Jul – 30 Sep 2025; finals Ramadan 2026
Location Katara, Doha, Qatar Qur'an Past
4th Intl Quran Competition of Indonesia
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Jan 2026 (annual)
Location Jakarta, Indonesia Qur'an Past
Toronto Int'l Qur'an Competition 2025
Category Qur'an
Date 28 – 30 Dec 2025
Location Toronto, Canada Qur'an Hifz Past
32nd Egypt International Holy Quran Competition
Category Hifz & recitation, 8 categories (70+ countries)
Date 6 – 10 Dec 2025
Location Cairo, Egypt Qur'an Past
International Qirat Competition (IQC-2025)
Category Qirat (reciters aged 25–35, 37 countries)
Date 24 – 29 Nov 2025
Location Islamabad, Pakistan Qur'an Past
65th Majlis Tilawah & Hafazan Al-Qur'an (Intl)
Category Tilawah & Hafazan
Date 2 – 9 Aug 2025
Location Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Qur'an Past
Qirā'ah Programme + International Quran Recital Award Regionals 2025
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Qira'ah night Friday 25 July 2025 after Esha 19:00; competition Saturd
Location Madrasah Tarteelul Quraan, South Africa Qur'an Past
Lisbon International Qur'an Competition 2025
Category Qur'an
Date 19 – 22 Jun 2025
Location Lisbon, Portugal Qur'an Past
Texas International Qur'an Competition 2025
Category Qur'an
Date Apr 2025
Location Houston, USA Qur'an Hifz Past
20th Algeria International Prize for Memorising & Reciting the Holy Quran (1446H)
Category Hifz & recitation (international, nominated)
Date 2025 (nominations closed 5 Jan 2025)
Location Algiers, Algeria Qur'an Past
13th Tijan Al Noor Int'l Qur'an Competition
Category Qur'an (Ages 9–13)
Date Ramadan 2025
Location Doha, Qatar Qur'an Past
15th Kuwait Int'l Award for Qur'an Memorisation
Category Hifz
Date Nov 2024
Location Kuwait City, Kuwait Qur'an Hifz Past
13th Kuwait International Quran Award
Category Full hifz, recitation & tajweed, young memorisers, ten qiraat
Date 13 – 20 Nov 2024
Location Kuwait City Qur'an Past
Sharjah International Qur'an Competition 2024
Category Recitation
Date Nov 2024
Location Sharjah, UAE Qur'an Hifz Past
13th Int'l Hifzul Qur'an Competition
Category Hifz
Date Nov 2024
Location Dhaka, Bangladesh Qur'an Past
European Int'l Qur'an Mem & Recitation (Zagreb)
Category Qur'an
Date 26 – 28 Sep 2024
Location Zagreb, Croatia Qur'an Past
18th Mohammed VI Int'l Qur'an Prize
Category Qur'an
Date 3 Sep 2024
Location Casablanca, Morocco Qur'an Past
44th King Abdulaziz Int'l Qur'an Competition
Category Qur'an
Date Aug 2024
Location Makkah, Saudi Arabia Qur'an Past
Turkey Int'l Qur'an Memorisation & Recitation (6th)
Category Qur'an
Date Jul 2024
Location Istanbul, Turkey Qur'an Past
4th International Qur'an Competition (Kenya)
Category Qur'an
Date Mar 2024
Location Nairobi, Kenya Qur'an Hifz Past
Quraner Noor International Hifzul Quran Competition 2024
Category Hifz (huffaz from 17 countries)
Date 2024
Location Dhaka, Bangladesh Qur'an Past
29th Egypt Int'l Holy Qur'an Competition
Category Qur'an
Date Feb 2024
Location Cairo, Egypt Qur'an Past
20th Jordan Int'l Qur'an Competition (Women)
Category Qur'an
Date Jan 2024
Location Amman, Jordan Qur'an Past
University of Faisalabad International Qiraat Virtual Competition
Category Qiraat (online)
Date Online — see organiser
Location Online (Faisalabad, Pakistan) Qur'an Hifz Past
12th Kuwait International Quran Award
Category Hifz, recitation & tajweed
Date 15 Nov 2023
Location Kuwait City Questions How do I register for an international Quran competition? Some, like the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, now accept direct applications online; others only accept contestants nominated by a country’s religious authority or an approved Islamic centre. Each listing links to the organiser’s rules.
Countries and regions
Competition types
Major competitions
Full directory of all competitions
