RIYADH — In the latest episode of the competitions of Otr Elkalam, one of the initiatives of the General Entertainment Authority, the four contestants — Saudi national Mohammed Al-Sharif, Ibrahim Asad from Britain, Lebanese Raheef Al-Hajj and Indonesian Diaa Al-Din — impressed the jury with their performance, which was distinguished by the use of various maqamat (musical structures) and the upper and lower vocal pitches in raising the adhan (prayer call).

The contestants were competing for the first place, which will be announced with the other positions in the two tracks — Qur'an recitation and raining adhan — during the last episode of the show on Friday.

The performance of the contestants in Thursday's episode was characterized by extreme accuracy, emotions imbued with strength and feeling, and various sound ranges, in addition to the sweet and smooth transitions between bass and subran in adhan with harmonious performances.

During Friday's episode, the names of the ten winners in the Adhan track, as well as the ten winners in the recitation tracks, will be announced. They will be honored with the largest prizes of their kind in all Qur'an and adhan competitions worldwide, with a pool of more than SR12 million.

The international competition, which comes in strategic partnership with the Muslim World League, aims to show the cultures of the Islamic world and their diversity in reciting the Qur'an and raising adhan.

The show is broadcast daily during the blessed month of Ramadan on MBC and the Shahid digital platform. It sheds light on the distinguished voices in reciting the Holy Qur'an and raising adhan and contributes to enlightening the participants and viewers with the observations of the jury in tajwid, recitations, and maqamat. — SG