Ismail Izuan Ibrahim, Aayan Ahmed Inan, and Aishath Zeek Riyaz secured top honours at the 38th National Quran Recitation Competition on Thursday, earning full presidential scholarships to pursue higher education up to doctoral level (PhD) in any field and country of their choice.
In the overall category standings, Ismail Izuan Ibrahim took first place in the Hafiz division, Aayan Ahmed Inan won first place in the Unmemorised Recitation division, and Aishath Zeek Riyaz claimed first place in the Memorised Recitation division.
The top achievers received their awards directly from President Dr Mohamed Muizzu during a closing ceremony at the Islamic Centre. Alongside the PhD scholarships, each first-place winner was awarded the Presidential Plaque of Honour and an MVR 100,000 presidential cash prize.
They were also presented with an additional MVR 75,000 cash prize from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, incorporating contributions from the National Centre for the Holy Quran, the Maldives Zakat House, and the Religious Waqf Fund, alongside commemorative trophies and Umrah pilgrimage sponsorships provided by the Maldives Hajj Corporation Limited.
First Lady Sajidha Mohamed presented awards to the second- and third-place winners in each category.
This year’s competition introduced significant structural changes under President Muizzu’s administration, including direct financing from the state budget and expanded entry criteria allowing participants to apply individually via open auditions rather than solely through representing institutions. The competition management was also fully digitalised, and international adjudicators served on judging panels during the advanced rounds.
According to the National Centre for the Holy Quran, 3,050 students registered for the event, with 2,742 participating in the open audition stage. From the initial group, 379 candidates advanced to the semi-finals, and 138 students ultimately competed in the final round.
