Princess Fahda bint Falah Al Hathleen, wife of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, honored the female winners of the 46th King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorizing, Reciting, and Interpreting the Holy Qur'an during the women's closing ceremony held in Makkah on 20 August 2026.
The women's ceremony was organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance at a venue in Makkah, held separately from the men's ceremony at the Grand Mosque. The male winners were honored on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques by the Deputy Governor of the Makkah Region.
Held annually in Makkah under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the international competition draws participants from across the globe. Recent editions have gathered contestants from more than 100 countries, with the 44th session in 2024 recording around 173 to 174 contestants from 123 countries.
The competition is fully state-funded. Prize funding for recent editions has totaled around SAR 4,000,000 in main prizes, plus SAR 1,000,000 in additional financial gifts for participants, with top-category first-place prizes reaching SAR 500,000. Contestants and winners pay no entry fees, and participation is arranged through nomination and coordination with Islamic affairs bodies and official invitations rather than public portals.
The award ceremonies are invitation-based protocol events, not public ticketed gatherings. For families and communities across the Kingdom, the annual competition remains one of the most prominent international events celebrating the memorization and recitation of the Holy Qur'an, reflecting the Kingdom's long-standing role in supporting Qur'anic study worldwide.
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