Qatar's Ministry of Endowments Sponsors Katara Award for Holy Quran Recitation

Doha, March 09 (QNA) - Cultural Village Foundation Katara held today a press conference, announcing the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs' sponsorship of the 5th edition of the Katara Award for Holy Quran. Director-General of the Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti praised the efforts of the General Department of Endowments at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, represented by its Director-General HE Sheikh Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed bin Ghanem Al-Thani, in sponsoring the Award. He also hailed the Department's continuous cooperation, noting that the award enjoys a distinguished global position thanks to the Department. Dr. Al Sulaiti also praised Qatar TV as a media partner of the Award that will broadcast the competition's final stages during the holy month of Ramadan. Dr. Al Sulaiti pointed out that the 5th edition of the award got a high turnout. It attracted Qur'an memorizers from 48 countries all over the world, with 16 Arab countries participating with 681 participants. He added that the number of the participants from 23 non-Arab countries reached 286 participants, and the prize screening committee will select the top 100 participants who qualify for the final stage in Doha. He pointed out that due to the global health conditions resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic, this session would be organized for the second year in a row virtually, in the hope that the global health situation will improve and that Katara will welcome all participants. He also noted that there will be three valuable prizes, amounting to QR 900,000. First place winner will receive QR 500,000, with the second place and third place winners will receive QR 300,000, and QR 100,000 respectively. Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti praised this proposal of opening the Award to the female, pointing out that it would be submitted to the organizing committee for consideration. He also noted that in this regard Katara, in the context of its support and interest in Holy Quran memorizers, organizes a competition in the holy month of Ramadan for males and females in order to create a generation of Holy Quran memorizers who are well-versed in the rules of proper reading of Holy Quran. For his part, HE Director-General of the General Department of Endowments at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Sheikh Dr. Khalid bin Mohamed bin Ghanem Al-Thani said that the Katara Award for Quran Recitation and the Katara Award for the Prophets Poet are among the leading competitions in their fields, and each of them has gained a global reputation. He added that the General Department of Endowments at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, therefore, continues to support these two awards for their importance, calling on everyone to follow the competitions on Qatar TV in the holy month of Ramadan to listen to the verses of the Holy Quran, and enjoy these poems and verses. Speaking to (QNA) on the interest of the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs in the Holy Quran, and launching a number of competitions throughout the year or patronizing similar prizes, the Director General of the Endowments explained that the Ministry patronized several competitions such as the Sheikh Jassim bin Muhammad bin Thani Holy Quran competition, which includes a number of categories targeting school students, as well as the supporting and patronizing Katara Award for Quran recitation and supporting the Tijan Al-Noor competition on the children's channel, pointing out that the competition for the recitation of the Noble Quran is one of the best areas of competition as a whole, and it aims to serve the Book of Allah, its readers and its memorizers from different parts of the world. (QNA)