Representatives from 30 Countries to Participate in 2026 Port Said Int’l Quran Competition

IQNA – The ninth edition of the Port Said International Quran and Religious Chanting Competition is set to begin in late January 2026 with participation from more than 30 countries, organisers announced.

The executive director of the contest, Adel Al‑Mussilhi, confirmed the international turnout and said the competition will be held under the name of the late Egyptian reciter Sheikh Mahmoud Ali Al-Banna.

The event enjoys the support of Egypt’s government, including the office of the Prime Minister.

Al-Mussilhi said preliminary domestic rounds started on Saturday at Al-Rahman Mosque. On the first day, 95 participants competed in religious chanting categories for adults and children.

He described the start as spiritually uplifting, noting a strong turnout of Quran memorizers and religious chanters across varied ages.

Organizers also said this year’s competition has expanded. It includes more participants, a distinguished judging panel of reciters and chanters, and a full slate of cultural and religious events.

The competition features multiple branches. For adults (ages 16 to 25), there are contests for full Quran memorization (for males), single-narration memorization (for females), skilled recitation with tajweed, and religious chanting. For children (ages 6 to 15), branches include full Quran memorization and chanting.

The international competition itself will run from 30 January to 2 February 2026.

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