Quran Competitions in the Middle East and Gulf Quran competitions across the Gulf and the wider Middle East: the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt and Turkey. This includes some of the largest international awards in the world as well as national and school-level competitions .
For the biggest one, see our Dubai International Holy Quran Award guide.
13 upcoming, 33 past
Qur'an Hifz Upcoming
31st Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani Quran Competition – Quran Categories
Category Hifz (Qatari citizens, male & female)
Date Register 10 – 20 Oct; tests from 31 Oct; closing 19 Nov 2026
Location Doha, Qatar 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
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
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
Bahrain Intl Quran Recitation Competition (Global Reciter)
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Biannual (Online → Bahrain Final)
Location Manama, Bahrain Bukhari Upcoming
Al-Mi'atayn Grand Hadith Memorisation Competition
Category Hadith (Bukhari & Muslim)
Date 2026 (dates TBC)
Location Iraq Qur'an Hifz Upcoming
Rayaheen Al Quran Competition – 28th Edition (Parents' Category)
Category Hifz (parents)
Date 2026–27 (registration closed 30 Sep 2026)
Location Al Mamzar, Dubai, UAE Qur'an Hifz Upcoming
Sheikh Mustahail Al-Mashani Endowment Qur'an Competition
Category Hifz & Qira'at (males & females)
Date 2026 (dates TBC)
Location Oman Qur'an Upcoming
Emirates International Award for the Holy Quran 2026
Category Qira'at, Tilawah & Quranic values (4 competitions)
Date 2026–27 (registration closed 31 Aug 2026)
Location UAE (citizens & residents) Qur'an Hifz Upcoming
Al-Azhar Quran Competition 2026
Category Hifz
Date 2026–27 (applications closed 27 Sep 2026)
Location Egypt Qur'an Hifz Upcoming
Mishal bin Hamad Al-Saleh Qur'an Award – 5th Edition
Category Hifz (Juz Amma to full Qur'an, males)
Date Registration 1 Sep – 15 Oct 2026; heats from late Oct
Location Kuwait Qur'an Upcoming
9th Abdul Rahman Kanoo Qur'an Recitation & Hifz Competition
Category Recitation & Hifz (Grades 6–12)
Date 15 Sep – 15 Oct 2026
Location Bahrain Past competitions (33 ) Other Past
Dar Al-Bayan e-Tadabbur Qur'an Competition
Category Tadabbur (online exam)
Date 4 – 6 Oct 2026
Location Iraq / Online Qur'an Past
Qirat Competition – Eastern Region Scholar Summit 2026
Category Qirat
Date Online rounds 28 Jul & 2 Aug; finale 7 Aug 2026
Location Dammam, Saudi Arabia 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
ISCS Muwaileh Qur'an Awards 2026
Category Qur'an (school awards)
Date Jul 2026
Location Muwaileh, Sharjah, UAE Qur'an Past
KFH Kuwait Quran Hifz & Recitation Competition
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date 2026
Location Kuwait Qur'an Past
National Holy Quran Competition 2025-26
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date 2025-26
Location Al Khor, Qatar Qur'an Past
المسابقة الحديثية الكبرى - في حفظ كتاب المئتان مما اتفق عليه الشيخان (Al-Musabaqa al-Hadithiyya
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date TBC — see organiser
Location Iraq Hifz Past
Iqra Wartaqi (اقرأ وارتق) Quran Competition
Category Hifz
Date 2 June 2026 (written 2-6-26)
Location Dubai, United Arab Emirates Qur'an Hifz Past
3rd Simaisma & Al-Daayen Youth Centre Qur'an Competition
Category Hifz (5–30 Juz, six levels)
Date 15 Ramadan 1447 (Mar 2026)
Location Simaisma, Qatar (Qatar residents) 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
Sheikh Jassim Holy Quran Competition (31st Edition)
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date 2025–26 season — final Ramadan 2026
Location Doha, Qatar Hifz Past
مسابقة القرآن الكريم الثالزة (3rd Holy Quran Competition)
Category Hifz
Date 15 Ramadan 2026, 8:30 PM
Location Simaisma / Al Dhakhira Qur'an Past
مسابقة القرآن الكريم في شهر القرآن (Holy Quran Competition in the Month of the Quran)
Category Qur'an & Hifz
Date Ramadan 1447 H, daily at 10:00 PM
Location Kuwait Other Past
Al-Ghanim & Al-Kharafi Mosque Ramadan Qur'an Quiz 1447H
Category Qur'an quiz (online)
Date Ramadan 1447 (Feb – Mar 2026)
Location Kuwait Adhan Past
Muezzin Al Freej Challenge 2026 (IACAD)
Category Adhan (children)
Date Winners announced 14 Feb 2026
Location Dubai, UAE 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
Qatar National Holy Quran Competition 2025–26
Category Qur'an (school students)
Date Registration closed 5 Feb 2026
Location Qatar 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 Adhan Past
Bilal Al-Asr Adhan Competition (4th edition)
Category Adhan & iqamah (high-school students)
Date Final 24 Nov 2025
Location Doha, Qatar Qur'an Past
Bahrain Holy Qur'an Grand Prize (20th)
Category Qur'an
Date Sep 2025
Location Manama, Bahrain 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 Hifz Past
26th King Salman Local Qur'an Competition
Category Hifz & Qira'ah
Date Feb 2025
Location Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 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 Past
30th Sheikh Jassim bin Thani Competition
Category Qur'an
Date Oct 2024
Location Doha, Qatar 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
IIC Qur'an Recitation Competition (Season 4)
Category Qur'an
Date 23 Mar 2024
Location Abu Dhabi, UAE 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 Hifz Past
12th Kuwait International Quran Award
Date 15 Nov 2023
Location Kuwait City Questions Can foreigners enter Quran competitions in the Gulf? Some are open internationally, some only to citizens and residents, and the large international awards usually take contestants nominated by their countries. Each listing says who it is for; check the organiser’s rules before applying.
Which Gulf Quran competition has the biggest prizes? The Dubai International Holy Quran Award offers 1 million US dollars for first place in its main categories in the 1448H/2027 edition.
Countries and regions
Competition types
Major competitions
Full directory of all competitions
