Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Oct 06, 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

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Syria Holds First Elections Since Fall of Assad
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
×