RIYADH: The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, through the religious attache at the Saudi Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has concluded the preliminary qualifiers for the largest international Holy Qur’an memorization competition in the Balkans.
The event was organized in cooperation with the Islamic Sheikdom in Kosovo and coordinated with the Saudi Embassy in Albania, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
There were 2,350 contestants from 22 countries, including Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Italy, Turkiye, Greece, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Estonia, Belgium, Ukraine, Georgia, Russia, Belarus and San Marino.
Of these, 160 contestants qualified for the final round, to be held May 8-11 in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, where they will compete in five categories.
The competition offers a total prize pool of SR500,000 ($133,000), with an estimated organization cost of SR1.2 million.
Sheikh Naim Ternava, grand mufti and head of the Islamic Sheikhdom in Kosovo, expressed gratitude to the Kingdom for its ongoing support.
He praised the ministry’s various programs aimed at promoting a moderate understanding of Islam and reinforcing the values and teachings of the Holy Qur’an among Muslims in the Balkans, particularly in Kosovo.
