National Quran Competition Sees Surge in Participation with New Presidential Scholarships

The Maldives is experiencing a significant growth in Quranic activities and development, according to the Minister of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed. Speaking at the awarding ceremony for the 38th National Quran Competition, the Minister emphasized the need to sustain this positive momentum to foster spiritual growth across the archipelago. A pivotal shift in the competition's structure has led to a dramatic increase in engagement. By removing previous restrictions that limited school entries to a few selected students per age group, the event has transitioned from a school-based contest to a truly national one. This policy change saw participation jump from approximately 800 to over 3,000 students. In the current cycle, 3,050 children entered the audition round, with 138 eventually competing in the finals. To further incentivize youth participation, the government has increased the prize pool and integrated direct funding from the national budget, a decision spearheaded by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. The most prestigious reward is a special presidential scholarship, granting first-place winners the opportunity to pursue studies up to a PhD level in any field at a destination of their choice. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu personally presented awards to the top winners at the Islamic Centre. Ismail Izu’aan took first place in the Hafiz category, Aayan Ahmed Inan won the recitation from text category, and Aishath Zeek Riyaz secured first place in the memorized recitation category. In addition to the scholarship, first-prize winners received a cash award of USD 6,485 from the President, USD 4,865 from the Islamic Ministry and its affiliated funds, and an Umrah trip sponsored by the Maldives Hajj Corporation. Minister Shaheem also praised the quality of Quran competitions currently being held within the atolls and the organized efforts within schools to support these initiatives.