The Ghanaian Minaret

Dubai, UAE – Seven female Quran reciters from Africa have made it to the top 10 of the Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak International Holy Quran Competition that was held recently.

They were among some 62 contestants that competed in the 8th edition of the international Quran competition for women, which was held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, from September 7 to September 11.

The awards ceremony for the event was held on Friday, September 13, at the Culture and Science Symposium in Dubai.

Safiya Mohammed Taher from Sweden secured the first place, with Khadija Al-Mukhtar from Mauritania in second place.

Fati Rashid from Kenya was adjudged the third-best reciter with Maryam Habib and Afnan Rashad from Nigeria and Yemen tied at fourth place, respectively.

Asmaa Younis from Egypt came in sixth, and Asmaa Shalabi from Tunisia was seventh, while Zahra Ansari from Iran came in eighth position.

Meanwhile, Putri Hanif from Malaysia was ninth, while Mona Al-Sagheer from Libya shared tenth place with Aisha Jakhoura from South Africa.

Last year at the 7th edition of the competition, Jordanian contestant Sundos Saeed Mohammed Siddawi won first place, with Amad Al-Rahman Badi Gulai from Bahrain placing second.

Yasmin Old Daly, Masla Jamal Al-Din, and Asma Abdel-Rahman Abdullah Abdul-Malik from Algeria, Indonesia, and Yemen, respectively, tied for third place.

Ahmed Al Zahid, spokesperson for the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, said at the closing ceremony that a new website has been launched to allow users to nominate candidates for the event.

It would also provide information to help users learn about the award’s fourteen branches and view a photo exhibition showcasing the award’s history since its inception.