Al-ghazlaniyah: From the town of Al-Ghazlaniyah in the Damascus countryside, Sara Abdul Karim Alhalak's journey of perseverance and challenge began, proving that through the Holy Quran, one can overcome life's greatest challenges. Her determination has brought her to the finals of the 28th edition of the Dubai International Holy Quran Award, where she competes for the title of the most beautiful Quran recitation for 2026.
According to Emirates News Agency, Sara, a 16-year-old tenth-grade student from the Syrian Arab Republic, stands as an exceptional model of perseverance. Despite the hardships endured by her country, she has completed memorization of the entire Holy Quran, earning a comprehensive evaluation certificate from Manazel Al-Abrar graded Very Good, and certification in the classical text Tuhfat Al-Atfal. Her accomplishments extend to the Prophetic tradition, where she has memorized and earned evaluation certificates in Al-Shama'il Al-Muhammadiyah and 120 hadiths from Riyad Al-Salihin, graded Excellent.
In the sciences of Tajweed and maqamat, Sara completed a Tajweed textbook study, passed the preparatory course for Al-Munir fi Ilm Al-Tajweed, and received certification in maqamat and rhythm from Al-Raqeem Center. She achieved third place in the Qiyam Center Competition and earned a full Quran evaluation certificate with Alif Lam Meem Academy.
Sara's Quranic journey began early, attending mosque regularly. A turning point was meeting a beloved teacher who catalyzed her journey. Her parents, longtime aspirants to memorize the Quran, supported her, and their dream was realized through their daughter. Her family followed her lead, with her mother memorizing nearly seven parts, and her sisters and father joining the path of memorization and recitation.
Despite the extraordinary challenges imposed by Syria's difficult conditions, Sara's faith, patience, and determination allowed her to persevere. She developed refined performance through courses in advanced recitation and maqamat, aspiring for outstanding accomplishments both locally and internationally, aiming to graduate at the top of her class and pursue Informatics Engineering with a specialization in Artificial Intelligence.
In her Quranic aspirations, Sara plans to obtain a certified ijazah with an authenticated chain of narration and record a complete Quran recitation. Although she is not currently active on social media, she plans to launch meaningful content, including a podcast titled Life with the Quran and various series. She sees social media as a double-edged tool that can be beneficial if used wisely.
Sara regards her participation in the Dubai International Holy Quran Award as a great honor, an opportunity to spread and honor the Book of Allah. She expresses gratitude for being among contestants worldwide, united by love for the Quran and the spirit of faith, creating a sense of Muslim unity.
The Dubai International Holy Quran Award has announced a new developmental vision for its 28th edition, aiming to enhance its impact and attract more talents globally. The new edition introduces qualitative additions, increasing the total prize value to more than AED 12 million, reaffirming Dubai's leading position in serving the Book of Allah.