Representatives from 73 countries took part in this round, which was organized virtually.
They competed in the categories of Quran recitation for men and Quran memorization for men and women.
The top participants have made it to the semifinal stage. They are from countries like Afghanistan, Austria, Indonesia, Britain, Pakistan, Algeria, Kuwait, Lebanon, South Africa, India, the Netherlands, Jordan, Ethiopia, the US, Uganda, the UAE, Belgium and Bangladesh.
The finals will be held on October 8-10 with the closing ceremony slated for October 18, concurrent with the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Hojat-ol-Islam Mojtaba Mohammadi, the director of the Meshkat Quranic Institute, had said earlier.
The winner of each category will be awarded a cash prize of 800 million Rials (nearly $2,600 USD) while the two next ranks will receive 700 and 600 million Rials (nearly $2,300 and $2,000 USD) respectively.
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