Riyadh, July 17, 2019, SPA -- The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) announced a great turnout for its Quran Recitation and Athan competitions, launched by GEA Chairman Turki Al Al-Sheikh early 2019. The initiative aims to provide a rich experience to the world by highlighting the diversity of the Muslim World’s cultures, reflected through the style of Quran Recitation and Athan performance, and to enhance the image of Islam and Muslims internationally. In a recent statistic, GEA announced a substantial increase in the number of people registered in its religious competitions, which have so far surpassed 21,000. Participants in the Quran Recitation competition exceeded 11,000, while the number of participants in the Athan competition exceeded 9,000. Registration in both contests will continue until the end of July. The competitions consist of several phases. The first stage will include receiving participants’ applications via the website, followed by the shortlisted of applicants from July 24 to August 23. The on- stage live performances will take place from August 24 to September 24, and the winners will be announced and awarded throughout the final stage, which will run from September 25 until October 25. The winner of the Quran Recitation competition will receive a prize of SAR5 million ($1.3 million), while the winner of the Athan competition will receive an award of SAR2 million ($530,000). For further information on the terms of participation and registration, please visit the website: https://quranathanawards.com. --SPA 22:39 LOCAL TIME 19:39 GMT 0037 www.spa.gov.sa/w1139803