The international Qur’an recitation and adhan (call to prayer) competition has announced the names of jury members for its final qualifiers to be aired on the “Otr Elkalam” TV show in Saudi Arabia.
A jury of five members specialised in the Qur’an, maqams and vocal pitches will evaluate contestants and help with their performances during the competition, which is the largest of its kind in the world.
The jury consists of Sheikh Ahmed Nahas, the muezzin of the Grand Mosque in Makkah; Sheikh Mishari bin Rashed Al-Afasy, a well-known reciter and imam of the Grand Mosque in Kuwait; Abdul Rahim Nabulsi, secretary-general of Reciters and Teaching Recitation in Morocco; Bahloul Saeed Abu Arqoub, an expert in maqamat and a judge in international Qur’anic competitions from Libya; and Sheikh Ahmed Mansour, leading reciter of the Al-Azhar Mosque in Egypt.
The competition, which combines adhan and recitation in one platform, has looked to diversify its evaluation committee to improve transparency and impartiality.
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Jury announced for Int’l Qur’an recitation, adhan contest
The competition, which is being supervised by the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, will be broadcast during the month of Ramadan on the MBC TV channel and the Shahid digital platform, with prizes amounting to more than SR12 million ($3.2 million).
The Chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, Turki Al-Sheikh, had on January 4 announced the opening of registration for the contest. Registration will close Monday, January 23.
The participation process begins with applicants registering via the competition website and uploading an audio clip for evaluation by a jury, which in turn nominates candidates over another three stages of qualification before finalists are selected.
First presented in Ramadan last year, the contest introduces the world to the tolerance of Islam, the rich diversity of the cultures of the Islamic world, and the vocal methods of reciting the Qur’an and raising the call to prayer.
It also aims to support, empower, and celebrate creative and talented people.
The Saudi government encourages contestants from all over the world to participate, and last year more than 40,000 people from 80 countries applied to take part. (Arab News)