Conclusion of the final stage of the Quran Reciter for Foreign Students competition launched by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the crowning of the Filipino student Jihad Abdulkarim Abdelkader from Mutah University in first place.

Representing the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Dr. Azmi Mahafzah, the Acting Secretary-General of the Ministry Mr. Shadi Musaadah today, Monday, chaired the event, in the presence of the members of the judging panel and deans of student affairs at the universities of the students participating in the final stage of the fourth cycle of 2026 of the “Maqri’ Foreign Students” competition, organized by the Unit of Foreign Students Affairs at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The final stage of the competition witnessed the victory of three students in the top three positions as follows: first place was awarded to the student Jihad Abdulkarim Abdelkader (Filipino nationality), studying at Mutah University; second place was awarded to the student Ahed Abdulsamad Ismail (Filipino nationality), studying at Jerash Private University; and third place was awarded to the student Hamza Al-Saeed Awad Muqbil (Egyptian nationality), studying at Al-Zaytoonah Private University.

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research stated that the number of foreign students who applied to participate in this competition this year and met the conditions was 193 students representing 25 Arab and Islamic countries, from 24 Jordanian higher education institutions. The Unit of Foreign Students Affairs at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research had launched two weeks ago a competition for Quran recitation and Tajweed under the title “Maqri’ Foreign Students,” where the ministry required that participants be non-Jordanian students (foreign students) enrolled in one of the higher education institutions in Jordan, regardless of specialization, program, or degree. A specialized judging committee was formed, consisting of:

Chair of the committee, Professor Dr. Tamam Odeh Al-Assaf, faculty member at the Faculty of Sharia at the University of Jordan, specialized in Tajweed rules, and former member of several judging committees for Quran memorization and recitation competitions.
Dr. Hatem Jamil Al-Suhaimat, Assistant Secretary-General for Directorates Affairs / Director of Religious Education at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Holy Sites, with long and distinguished experience in chairing local and international judging committees for the Hashemite Quran Memorization Competition.
Dr. Subhi Ibrahim Al-Sharqawi, Professor of Music Education at Al-Hashimiyeh University, specialized in phonetics, musical maqamat, moshahhat, and chants, member of the national team for composing music education curricula, with extensive experience in judging committees for numerous Jordanian and Arab song festivals inside and outside Jordan.
Dr. Farid Shawqi Sarsak, PhD in Literature, Criticism, and Poetry, part-time lecturer at several Jordanian universities, founder and director of many Arab satellite channels, expert in musical maqamat mastery and teaching them through the human voice, holder of reading and recitation licenses.
Sheikh Tawfiq Ibrahim Damrah, Head of the Quran Circles Department at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Holy Sites, with long experience in judging committees for Quran competitions inside and outside Jordan.

The ministry allocated a cash prize of 1,500 Jordanian Dinars for the student who won first place, 1,000 Jordanian Dinars for the second-place student, and 500 Jordanian Dinars for the third-place student.

It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research recently implemented a set of recreational and motivational programs for foreign students under the title “You Are Ambassadors of Jordan,” in implementation of the executive plan of the strategy for attracting foreign students to study in Jordanian higher education institutions for the years 2023-2027, prepared by the ministry in cooperation and coordination with its strategic partner, the Jordan Tourism Board, and recently approved by the Cabinet. The strategy aims to promote educational tourism in the Kingdom and increase the attraction of foreign students to study in Jordanian higher education institutions.