Participants in the King Abdulaziz International Competition for the Memorization, Recitation, and Interpretation of the Holy Qur’an in its 42nd session, held in the Grand Mosque in Makkah, said this international competition is a reflection of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its leadership’s effort to care for and preserve the Holy Qur’an. They noted that the Kingdom spares no effort in serving the Holy Book by holding this annual competition. Mohammed Shuaib Rashid, a contestant from Singapore, noted that participating in the international competition is an achievement given that it is held in the Grand Mosque and next to the Kaaba, praising the Kingdom"s efforts in serving the Qur’an for several decades. For his part, Abdul Mohsen Jamal, from Ethiopia said that holding Qur’anic competitions is a true witness to the Kingdom’s efforts in service of Islam and the Qur’an. Meanwhile, Malaysian contestant Shahr Al-Honaifi said that he is living the best moments of his life next to the Grand Mosque, participating in the greatest competition concerned with memorizing, reciting, and interpreting the Qur’an. The preliminary qualifiers for the King Abdulaziz International Competition for Memorizing, Reciting, and Interpreting the Holy Qur’an in its 42nd session, organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, kicked off Saturday and will continue for three days in morning and evening shifts, after the competitors arrive at the competition premises. The organization of the competition is represented by the General Secretariat of the Holy Qur’an Competition from 14-25 Safar 1444 AH, with the participation of 153 contestants from 111 countries. — SPA