In a press conference, officials highlighted the competition's significance in promoting international Quranic diplomacy.
Hoj. Mohammad Ahmadzadeh, the Director of Khorasan Razavi Department of Endowments and Charity Affairs, emphasized the competition's importance, noting, “The final round will feature 57 reciters, including memorizers and murattels (people mastering chorus and rhythmic recitation of Quran), from 26 countries. Approximately 400 participants from 104 countries will be evaluated remotely in the preliminary round”.
Iran and Bangladesh each have five participants, marking the highest representation. Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Indonesia, and Iraq each have four participants, while Egypt, the Philippines, and Nigeria have three representatives each. Afghanistan, Yemen, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ghana, Senegal, Bahrain, Thailand, Kenya, Libya, Australia, Tunisia, Finland, India, Tanzania, Germany, Comoros, and Canada each have one participant.
The competition will conclude on January 31 with the announcement of the winners in full Quran memorization, recitation, and rhythmic recitation.
The event will be covered by 170 radio and television networks, and 41 Quranic gatherings will be held in mosques and holy sites to utilize the presence of international Quranic elites in Khorasan Razavi Province.
This is for the first time that the competition has moved from the political capital (Tehran) to the spiritual capital of Iran (Mashhad), a unique event in the Islamic world.
Renowned judges, including Ali Akbar Melkshahi, Saleh Azhari-Fard, Saeed Rahmani, Abbas Emam-Jom'eh, and Amir Aghaei, will judge the competitions, with Behruz Yari Gol leading the jury.
Some 21 female and 36 male participants will compete in five disciplines in this round of the competition.
The unveiling of a Quran attributed to Imam Reza, prepared by Imam Reza International Foundation and Astan Quds Razavi, will be one of the notable sections in the event.
Additionally, specially prepared Qurans for Iranian and non-Iranian pilgrims will be revealed and recited for the first time.
Significant Quranic activities will continue at the shrine, including daily recitations by shrine servants – a tradition that dates back over a thousand years.
According to Abdolhamid Talebi, the Head of Scientific and Cultural Organization of Astan Quds Razavi, the oldest Quranic manuscript at the shrine dates back to the 4th century AH. “Various educational, research, cultural, and promotional activities related to the restoration of valuable Quranic manuscripts are underway at the shrine”.
He added that AQR’s Islamic Research Foundation has so far published 51 volumes of "Al-Mujam Fi Fiqh Lughah Al-Quran Wa Sir Balagah" (The Lexicon in Jurisprudence of the Language of the Quran and the Secret of its Eloquence), which has drawn significant attention in the Islamic world.