The Maldives is experiencing an encouraging period of growth in Quran-related activities, Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has said, calling for continued collective efforts to sustain the progress.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 38th National Quran Recitation Competition on Thursday night, Dr Shaheem said opening the competition to all interested participants was one of the biggest changes in its history.

He said participation had increased from around 800 students previously to more than 3,000 contestants in this year’s competition.

Minister Dr Shaheem said the national competition had previously become largely school-based due to the lack of school-level competitions. However, he noted that Quran competitions are now being organised more widely and systematically in schools and across islands.

He also highlighted the increase in prizes awarded to winners as another major development that had contributed to greater participation.