JEDDAH: The Kingdom took top honors at the ninth Dubai International Holy Qur’an Awards on Tuesday.

Faisal Al-Harthi, who represented the Holy Qur’an Memorization Charity in Taif, won first place. Ibrahim Bu Melha, adviser to the ruler of Dubai for cultural and humanitarian affairs and chairman of the organizing committee, praised Al-Harthi for winning the contest.

Al-Harthi thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman for supporting efforts to propagate the Qur’an. He also thanked Sheikh Saleh Al-Asheikh, the Islamic affairs minister.

Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed Samih, secretary-general for local and international Qur’an competitions, said the achievement was an indication of the Kingdom’s efforts to educate children in Islamic studies.

“Studies conducted here on the Qur’an and related subjects are encouraged by the rulers of the Kingdom, which has placed our country at the forefront of such competitions,” he said.

According to reports, Al-Harthi walked away with about SR250,000 in cash, while Hamzah Al-Habashy from the United States and 12-year-old Bangladeshi Mohammad Zakaria came a close second and third, winning about SR200,000 and SR150,000 respectively.

As many as 76 contestants from around the world participated in the prestigious competition that ran for 12 nights. Indonesian Abdurrahim Syamsuri Jono bagged the fourth position, while Mohammad Al-Durouqi won fifth place.

Sixth place went to Yemeni Abdul Majeed Al-Samawi, and Sudan’s Al-Fateh Hamoud came in at seventh. Sangare Kalid from Ivory Coast, Hasan Samoh from Thailand and Abdul Rahmand Abdul Hadi from Egypt bagged the eighth, ninth and tenth positions respectively.

Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak, chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, supreme president of the Family Development Foundation and president of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, was honored with the Islamic Personality of the Year Award.