The 37th National Quran Recitation Competition has officially begun.

The opening ceremony was held last night at the conference hall of the Islamic Center, with Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed officiating the event.

This year’s competition will run until September 26, featuring 1,037 participants from 119 institutions. Among them are 582 contestants in the recitation-with-text category, 424 in the memorization category, and 31 in the Hafiz category.

For the first time in years, the competition is being funded directly from the state budget under the initiative of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. The Ministry noted that this marks a historic step forward in the government’s efforts to enhance and support Quranic education.

The number of Hafiz participants has also seen a notable increase compared to last year. While the 36th competition saw 15 Hafiz participants, this year’s event features 31.

The recitation sessions for the recitation-with-text category will be held at the 4th-floor auditorium of the Salman Mosque, while the memorization category will take place at the multipurpose hall of the 5th floor of the same mosque.

The Ministry further highlighted that the President’s decision to allocate state funds for the event reflects a broader commitment to advancing Quranic education and strengthening national Islamic programs. In addition, plans are underway to establish a dedicated National Quran Center to oversee and expand such initiatives in the future.