Makkah, Minister of Islamic Affairs of the Maldives Dr. Mohamed Shaheem stressed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represents the strategic depth of the Islamic nation, and as long as the Kingdom remains strong, Muslims will be strong. Shaheem made his remarks on the occasion of the launch of the final rounds of the 44th edition of the King Abdulaziz International Competition for the Memorization, Recitation, and Interpretation of the Holy Quran, organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The competition, held at the Grand Mosque until August 21, 2024, brought together 174 contestants from 123 countries; the total prizes stand at SAR4,000,000. Shaheem highlighted that the competition has trained many young people in the Islamic world, and that people who memorize the Quran from around the world eagerly await this annual opportunity to participate in the competition and represent their countries . He said: "I have deep memories of the international competition as I myself participated in it, representing my country during my youth. It was my first visit to the Kingdom, and I competed in the category of memorizing the entire Quran. I pray that Allah blesses the efforts of the Kingdom's leadership and protects it from all harm." Source: Saudi Press Agency