A Maldivian participant has secured fourth place in the world’s largest Quran competition, held in Saudi Arabia.

Representing the Maldives in the prestigious international Quran memorization competition in Mecca, 17-year-old Fathimath Shaaya Zahir (Ma. Asaas) achieved fourth place in the full Quran memorization category. She was awarded a cash prize of 170,000 Saudi Riyals (approximately MVR 700,000).

In a message sent to media outlets last night, Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed highlighted that this competition, run for 46 years, is the largest of its kind globally, featuring participants from 133 countries.

This also marks the first time female contestants have taken part in the competition's history, with the Minister noting that no female category had been included in previous editions.

The results were announced last night during a ceremony held at the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca. The event was graced by the Deputy Governor of Mecca, Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz, and attended by the Imam of the Grand Mosque, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, and Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr. Abdullatif Al-Sheikh.

Congratulating Shaaya, who memorized the entire Quran at just nine years old, Minister Shaheem stated that having a Maldivian representative achieve fourth place in such a major global competition is an immense honor for the entire nation.