RIYADH: The third episode of the “Otr Elkalam” TV show’s international Qur’an recitation and adhan competition witnessed a rivalry between European Moroccan contestants in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Saturday. In the recitation section, Ahmed Al-Hasnawi, based in France, competed with Mohammed Al-Habti, who lives in Spain, where he leads the prayers at a mosque and teaches children the Holy Qur’an. Al-Habti, with his voice consistent with the words of the Qur’an and its verses, qualified for the next stage at the expense of Al-Hasnawi, who has participated in several Qur’an recitation competitions in countries including Morocco and the UAE. In the adhan section, Rayan Hawsawi, a Nigerian who resides in Makkah, emerged victorious over Tariq Deeb, an electrical engineer from Syria. Deeb has regularly raised the adhan in mosques in his country from a young age, but was overcome on Saturday by Hawsawi, whose voice imitates the muazzins of the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The “Otr Elkalam” competition is designed to highlight the rich diversity of cultures in the Islamic world, and the vocal methods of reciting the Qur’an and raising the call to prayer. The show, supervised by the General Entertainment Authority and broadcast on MBC1 and the Shahid digital platform, has a total prize pool of SR12 million ($3.2 million). More than 50,000 entrants from 165 countries were whittled down to just 50 for the finals, held in Riyadh. The latest stage, overseen by the main jury, has left just 32 remaining contestants — 16 for each competition.