Egypt’s "Dawlat Al-Tilawah" program hits 3.7B views

CAIRO - 16 March 2026: Egypt's Minister of Religious Endowments, Osama Al-Azhari, announced that the state of recitation Quran competition has garnered nearly 3.7 billion views across digital platforms, describing the figure as an unprecedented milestone for religious media content in Egypt. He also confirmed that preparations are underway to launch the program’s second season after the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Speaking during the Ministry of Endowments’ celebration of Laylat al-Qadr attended by Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Al-Azhari extended his congratulations to the Egyptian president, the Egyptian people, and the Arab and Islamic worlds on the blessed occasion. He also conveyed his greetings ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Fitr.

Al-Azhari explained that the program was carefully designed to reflect the significance of the Quran and Egypt’s historical role in the art of Quranic recitation. The initiative aims to discover young talents and prepare a new generation of reciters capable of continuing the legacy of the renowned Egyptian school of recitation.

According to the minister, the project was developed in cooperation with several partners, including United Media Services, which contributed to the program’s artistic and visual identity. The production team designed the program’s décor using a style inspired by Mamluk architecture, one of the golden periods of Islamic art in Egypt.

Design elements such as the ornamental lamp niche used in the program were inspired by historical models preserved in the Museum of Islamic Art Cairo and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. These artistic elements were reinterpreted to reflect the beauty of Egyptian Islamic heritage and to reinforce the program’s distinctive visual identity.

Al-Azhari noted that Arabic calligraphy was also a central component of the program’s branding, with Egyptian artists creating a logo that reflects the artistic tradition of Arabic script historically associated with the Quran. He referred to the work of the renowned medieval calligrapher Ibn Muqla, whose geometric theory of Arabic letters has influenced generations of scholars and artists.

The minister said the program sought to create a spiritually immersive viewing experience through carefully studied lighting, color palettes, and sound engineering designed to evoke tranquility and reverence during Quran recitation.

Participation in the competition was extensive. Around 14,000 contestants applied from across Egypt and were divided into seven regional selection zones. Following several stages of evaluation, 300 participants advanced to the Ministry’s academy for intensive auditions before the final selection of 32 contestants who appeared in the televised episodes.

Al-Azhari stressed that the competition’s objective went beyond testing memorization or mastery of tajweed rules. Instead, the judges focused on identifying exceptional voices capable of conveying the spiritual depth and emotional beauty of Quranic recitation.

The program also featured renowned reciters and scholars as guest participants, while a specialized jury composed of experts in Quranic recitation and vocal maqamat evaluated the contestants’ performances.

According to the minister, the show succeeded in bringing Egyptian families together around meaningful religious content and attracted significant international attention. Viewers from countries including Australia, Indonesia, Mauritania, the United Kingdom, and Canada followed the competition and expressed appreciation for the program.

He revealed that the combined viewership of “State of Recitation” across official pages and digital platforms reached approximately 3.7 billion views, noting that the actual number could be higher due to widespread sharing on social media.

Al-Azhari confirmed that Egypt’s leadership closely followed the development of the project and supported its transformation into a national platform for discovering and nurturing Quranic recitation talents.

During his speech, the minister also reflected on the spiritual significance of Laylat al-Qadr, encouraging believers to contemplate the deeper meanings of the Quran and strive for excellence in both worship and daily life.

Concluding his remarks, Al-Azhari stressed that despite the complex challenges facing the region, the central issue of the Middle East remains the Palestinian cause. He reiterated that lasting stability in the region cannot be achieved without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.