Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Aug 16, 2026

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
Turkish Parliament Passes Landmark Bill Granting Conditional Amnesty to Disarmed PKK Members
Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s Father and Longtime Agent, Dies at 68
AI’s Next Bottleneck Is Power, Not Just Nvidia Chips
Meta Raises AI Spending Target to as Much as $145bn Despite Pressure Over Returns
Joe Biden’s Cancer Has Spread Beyond His Bones, Hunter Biden Says
Why 2027 Could Be a Strong Year for Stocks—and Why the Forecast Is Fragile
Why Markets May Look Quiet in August After Big Tech Earnings
Trump’s Top General Seeks an Exit Strategy From Iran War, Report Says
Brock Lesnar Retires From Wrestling, Closing a Career of Rare Athletic Range and Lasting Controversy
UFO: Pentagon Releases Video of Unidentified Object Tracked Over Middle East
Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual-Defence Pact
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
A SpaceX Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon — and Scientists Hope to Watch
Modern Slavery Decisions Broaden the Al Fayed Inquiry’s Frame
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Finland Deploys Commercial-Scale Thermal Batteries Using Crushed Rock to Store Renewable Grid Energy
Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California
US Says It Has Carried Out Heavy Strikes on Iran After Attempted Attacks on Its Forces
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Arrest Warrant Issued in Lebanon for Tycoon Spotted Meeting Netanyahu in Washington
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
Pentagon Discloses Nearly 100 US Troop Injuries During Renewed Iran Fighting
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Trump Draws Boos and Podium Scrutiny at Spain’s World Cup Triumph
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Turkey Explores S-400 Transfer to UAE in Bid to Rejoin F-35 Program
US Retaliates Against Iran After Two American Troops Killed in Jordan
Proposed U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Pact Could Permit Limited Uranium Enrichment Under International Safeguards
Why Kentucky Fried Chicken Became KFC—and Why the False Explanations Persist
Iran Claims It Destroyed Bahrain’s Main Artificial Intelligence Center in Missile and Drone Strike
Ukrainian Drones Strike Wildberries Warehouses Deep Inside Russia
Reported CIA Mission Helped Clear the UAE’s Path to Advanced US AI Chips
Artificial Intelligence Capital Fuels Markets While Governments and Regulators Face Mounting Strategic Tests
China’s Moonshot’s Kimi K3 Narrows the Gap With Anthropic Through Scale, Openness and Lower Cost
Gold and Cash Seizure Puts Indonesia’s Senior Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Under Investigation
The Ledger Will Not Trust on Faith
Passenger Bound for Germany Refused to Sit Beside a Woman on a Plane — Then Slapped a Flight Attendant
Ukraine’s Leadership Rift Spills Into the Streets as Protesters Target Army Chief
The Ten World Cup Finals That Defined Football History
Smartphones Are Getting More Expensive, Sales Are Collapsing, and Even Apple Admits: "Prices Will Rise"
Leadership Change and Strategic Rivalry Redraw the Political Map
The AI Race Enters Its Infrastructure Era
×