In brief
The preliminary rounds of the Prince Naif Quran Memorization Competition are back in Medina, targeting civil, security, and emirate employees. Organized by the Ministry of Interior, the first edition offers a total of three million riyals in prizes and employs an electronic scoring platform overseen by a specialized scientific committee. The event honors the legacy of Prince Naif and aims to promote memorization, recitation, and moral values.
The preliminary rounds of the Prince Naif Quran Memorization Competition resumed in the Medina region on 26 Jumada al‑awwal 1448 (6 November 2026), targeting civil and security personnel, as announced by the Saudi Press Agency.
The event, organized by the Ministry of Interior, is held at the emirate headquarters in Medina following a ceremony led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman b. Sultan b. Abdulaziz, Emir of the Medina region, with attendance from His Royal Highness Prince Saud b. Nehar b. Abdulaziz, Vice‑Emir. The competition brings together personnel from the ministry, regional emirates, and security sectors.
In its inaugural edition, the competition offers a combined prize pool of three million riyals. Participants compete in five branches, with winners awarded monetary prizes that sum to the full pool. The competition’s scoring employs an advanced electronic platform, supervised by a specialized scientific committee to ensure fairness and precision in evaluating each competitor’s performance.
This initiative pays tribute to the late Prince Naif b. Abdulaziz, who served as Minister of Interior for many years and was dedicated to supporting programs that promote the memorization and understanding of the Quran. The competition seeks to reinforce the spiritual and ethical values of participants, encouraging mastery of the text and its proper recitation.
While the event has achieved its goal of mobilizing a broad group of ministry and security personnel, the Saudi Press Agency notes that it is the first iteration of this competition across the kingdom, and further details regarding its long‑term impact will be addressed in future reports. The source does not identify any unresolved questions or uncertainties about the event itself.
