Egypt on Saturday inaugurated the 32nd edition of the International Holy Quran Competition, held under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and named this year after renowned Egyptian reciter Sheikh El-Shahat Mohamed Anwar, one of the country's most distinguished Quran reciters. Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar attended the opening ceremony, marking the start of the competition, which runs from 6 to 10 December. The event drew a wide array of senior officials, including Awqaf Minister Osama Al-Azhari, Youth and Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhi, Labour Minister Mohamed Gebran, Cairo Governor Ibrahim Saber, Al-Azhar Deputy Mohamed Al-Duwaini, Grand Mufti Nazir Mohamed Ayad, and Mohamed El-Sharif, head of the Ashraf Syndicate. Al-Azhari expressed gratitude to President Sisi for sponsoring the competition, held this year under the theme "A Light and a Clear Book". He noted that the event has attracted contestants from more than 70 countries alongside Egyptian participants, underscoring its status as one of the world's leading Quranic competitions. He added that the competition coincides with the success of Egypt's newly launched State of Recitation programme, which he described as a "window of light" that has earned wide acclaim both domestically and internationally. The programme, he said, complements the competition by promoting a model of enlightened religious understanding and cultural engagement. Grand Mufti Ayad praised ongoing efforts to elevate the competition's standards, describing the State of Recitation initiative as a boost to Egypt's cultural soft power and an important platform for identifying and nurturing young Quranic talent. He highlighted the strong institutional backing provided by the Ministry of Awqaf and United Media Services in sustaining both the programme and the competition.
