Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Sunday, Nov 30, 2025

Visually impaired contestant first to qualify for Otr Elkalam semifinal

Visually impaired contestant first to qualify for Otr Elkalam semifinal

The International Holy Qur’an and Call to Prayer competition in the quarterfinals witnessed the participation of a visually impaired Moroccan contestant Younes Gharbi, who has been memorizing the Holy Qur’an by listening and repeating it all his life, and has become a strong competitor in the Qur’anic competitions he has been participating in.
Gharbi became the first contestant to qualify for the semifinals in the Holy Qur’an recitation category. His performance was distinguished in the application of the provisions of tajwid, taking into account the maqams, and the use of sound layers in their appropriate positions.

He gave a beautiful recitation that impressed the viewers and the jury, which increased its members to 13 after the Secretary-General of the competition, Dr. Fahd Al-Andas, joined it in the quarterfinal round.

The only competitor for Younes at this stage, which includes two contestants for each round, was the Yemeni reciter Osama Abu Zeid, who was born in Madinah and was a student of the Imam of the Prophet's Mosque, Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Akhdar.

He is one of the most distinguished contestants in recitation and performance, and has won the votes of many members of the jury, but the largest share of votes Sunday was for his Moroccan competitor Gharbi.

In the Call to Prayer category, Libyan contestant Abdul Fattah Ali Jehider competed with his Syrian counterpart Khalil Benshi, who was a muezzin in many major mosques in Syria and recited the Holy Qur’an in many mosques in Bahrain. He qualified for the semifinal of the competition, which is the first of its kind in combining the Holy Qur’an recitation and the Call to Prayer in one competition.

The Holy Qur’an recitation and Call to Prayer competition, which is the first of its kind in the world, has educational dimensions because it evaluates the contestants and highlights observations related to their participation for the benefit of those interested in reciting the Holy Qur’an and delivering the Call to Prayer.

The quarterfinal qualifiers for the international Holy Qur’an and Call to Prayer competition began Sunday on Otr Elkalam (Scent of Speech) TV show, which is broadcast on the Saudi TV channel and the Shahid platform at 5 p.m.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Residents Mourn Victims as 1,500 People Relocated After Devastating Tower Fire
Saudi Arabia’s SAMAI Initiative Surpasses One-Million-Citizen Milestone in National AI Upskilling Drive
Saudi Arabia’s Specialty Coffee Market Set to Surge as Demand Soars and New Exhibition Drops in December
Saudi Arabia Moves to Open Two New Alcohol Stores for Foreigners Under Vision 2030 Reform
Saudi Arabia’s AI Ambitions Gain Momentum — but Water, Talent and Infrastructure Pose Major Hurdles
Tensions Surface in Trump-MBS Talks as Saudi Pushes Back on Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia Signals Major Maritime Crack-Down on Houthi Routes in Red Sea
Italy and Saudi Arabia Seal Over 20 Strategic Deals at Business Forum in Riyadh
COP30 Ends Without Fossil Fuel Phase-Out as US, Saudi Arabia and Russia Align in Obstruction Role
Saudi-Portuguese Economic Horizons Expand Through Strategic Business Council
DHL Commits $150 Million for Landmark Logistics Hub in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco Weighs Disposals Amid $10 Billion-Plus Asset Sales Discussion
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince for Major Defence and Investment Agreements
Families Accuse OpenAI of Enabling ‘AI-Driven Delusions’ After Multiple Suicides
Riyadh Metro Records Over One Hundred Million Journeys as Saudi Capital Accelerates Transit Era
Trump’s Grand Saudi Welcome Highlights U.S.–Riyadh Pivot as Israel Watches Warily
U.S. Set to Sell F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia in Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Doubles Down on U.S. Partnership in Strategic Move
Saudi Arabia Charts Tech and Nuclear Leap Under Crown Prince’s U.S. Visit
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally Amid Defense Deal
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally as MBS Visit Yields Deepened Ties
Iran Appeals to Saudi Arabia to Mediate Restart of U.S. Nuclear Talks
Musk, Barra and Ford Join Trump in Lavish White House Dinner for Saudi Crown Prince
Lawmaker Seeks Declassification of ‘Shocking’ 2019 Call Between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince
US and Saudi Arabia Forge Strategic Defence Pact Featuring F-35 Sale and $1 Trillion Investment Pledge
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Emerges as Key Contender in Warner Bros. Discovery Sale
Trump Secures Sweeping U.S.–Saudi Agreements on Jets, Technology and Massive Investment
Detroit CEOs Join White House Dinner as U.S.–Saudi Auto Deal Accelerates
Netanyahu Secures U.S. Assurance That Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge Will Remain Despite Saudi F-35 Deal
Ronaldo Joins Trump and Saudi Crown Prince’s Gala Amid U.S.–Gulf Tech and Investment Surge
U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum Sees U.S. Corporate Titans and Saudi Royalty Forge Billion-Dollar Ties
Elon Musk’s xAI to Deploy 500-Megawatt Saudi Data Centre with State-backed Partner HUMAIN
U.S. Clears Export of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi Arabia and UAE Amid Strategic Tech Partnership
xAI Selects Saudi Data-Centre as First Customer of Nvidia-Backed Humain Project
President Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington Amid Strategic Deal Talks
Saudi Crown Prince to Press Trump for Direct U.S. Role in Ending Sudan War
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince: Five Key Takeaways from the White House Meeting
Trump Firmly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Murder Amid Washington Visit
Trump Backs Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing Amid White House Visit
Trump Publicly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing During Washington Visit
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
Saudi Arabia’s Solar Surge Signals Unlikely Shift in Global Oil Powerhouse
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Letter from Iranian President Ahead of U.S. Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Begins Washington Visit to Cement Long-Term U.S. Alliance
Saudi Crown Prince Meets Trump in Washington to Deepen Defence, AI and Nuclear Ties
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Global Mining Strategy to Build a New Economic Pillar
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Arrives in Washington to Reset U.S.–Saudi Strategic Alliance
Saudi-Israeli Normalisation Deal Looms, But Riyadh Insists on Proceeding After Israeli Elections
Saudis Prioritise US Defence Pact and AI Deals, While Israel Normalisation Takes Back Seat
Saudi Crown Prince’s Washington Visit Aims to Advance Defence, AI and Nuclear Cooperation
×