Modou Jobe, a 17 year old Gambian came out third at the Dubai International Quran Awards recently held at the cultural and scientific association in Al Mamzar, UAE.
After 12 straight nights of intensive tests, Bangladeshi participant 13-year old Mohammad Tariqul Islam came out first, winning a cash prize Dh250,000. Twenty-year-old Huzaifah Siddiqui, who represented the USA, ranked second with Dh200,000 in cash, while Modou Jobe of Gambia came out third winning a cash prize of Dh150,000 ($41,000)
Participants from over 160 countries have so far participated in the contest over the past 21 years. The award is said to have become a leading attraction for male and female Quran memorizers from across the globe.
The competition this year saw 90 contestants selected from an initial list of 103 memorizers. 103 were confirmed, but only 90 were able to clear the initial qualifying tests.
