For the first time since its founding in 1997, the Dubai International Holy Quran Award is now welcoming female participants, marking a historic expansion of the prestigious competition. To date, 2,107 participants from 91 countries have competed, but the new format allows all participants to nominate themselves, removing the need for official nominations by their countries.

Unveiled at a recent press conference, the prize pool now totals Dh12 million, with $1 million each awarded to the winners of the male and female categories. The contest has been streamlined into three main categories: the Male Award, the Female Award, and the Islamic Personality of the Year Award — the latter also offering a $1 million prize and open to both individuals and organizations.

To qualify, participants must be under 16 years old and have memorised the Holy Quran with proper recitation and tajweed. Those who have previously reached the finals or received honors in earlier editions are not eligible to participate again.

The competition will proceed in three stages: an initial video submission review, remote testing for shortlisted candidates, and a final in-person evaluation in Dubai during the second week of Ramadan. Registration for both male and female categories opens from May 21 to July 20, 2025, on the official website (www.quran.gov.ae). The first evaluation phase runs July 1–31, followed by remote judging in September.

This restructuring strengthens Dubai’s global status in Quranic scholarship and reinforces its commitment to celebrating young Quran memorizers.