Winners of 2nd Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak

Ten winners of the 2nd Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak International Holy Quran Competition were hounoured by patron of the award, H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, on Wednesday.

Memorisers from 76 countries engaged in tough competition in the AED1.6 million award which was held on 12th - 21st November at the Culture and Sciences Symposium in Dubai.

The event was held under the patronage of the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and attended by H.H. Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, wife of Sheikh Mohammed, and a crowd of wives of Sheikhs, leaders of women's movements and female diplomats.

Hadeel Khalid Jubara of Palestine won the first place, taking home AED250,000, while Ramla Hassan of Finland came second, winning AED200,000.The third to tenth winners were from Bahrain, US, Somalia, Guinea, Mauritania, Nigeria, Lebanon and Kuwait.

On this occasion, H.H. Sheikha Fatima said the competition is part of the UAE's substantial efforts to serve the holy book and support and encourage girls to recite and memorise the holy verses.

She congratulated the winners and hoped the competition would spur other girls to memorise the Noble Quran.

For her part, Sheikha Hind, winner of the 2016 Distinguished Quran Personality Award in the 1st cycle of the award, said the competition underscores Sheikha Fatima's great care for the holy Quran.

''The competition has become an important annual event which attracts female memorisers from across the world,'' Sheikha Hind added.