Sherzat Khizhin, 10, does not speak a word of Arabic but finished memorising the Quran two years ago while sitting in a circle with his father and siblings.
Their two voices have joined those of people from more than 90 countries competing for positions as the top 10 reciters of the Quran in the world.
The Dubai International Award for the Holy Quran is in its 15th year.
The competition is for the best "sout samawi", or voice of heaven, who can recite the words of Allah through the divine book.
"The Quran has given me eyes," says Mr Sarikai, now 21, of Turkey. "If you listen with your heart, the words find a place in your heart and are never forgotten."
The Istanbul man learnt Arabic by listening to TV channels, and the Quran from listening to recordings of reciters.
His distinctive, deep-throated style of recitation is helped by his pastime of playing the nay.
Sherzat, on the other hand, is not very talkative except with close family members.
Extremely shy, he has journeyed out of his native Kazakhstan for the first time. He has been accompanied by the family friend and translator Amr Mousa.
"He only speaks when you ask him about the Quran," Mr Mousa says.
When Sherzat is asked to recite his favourite verses, his face lights up. Then he closes his eyes and is lost in his recitation.
Each reciter has to sit in the centre of the stage and be tested by the world's top six sheikhs, who prompt them to begin from any location in the Quran and continue without hesitation or errors.
The top prize is Dh250,000, awarded by the Government of Dubai. But there are no losers in this competition, as even the person who comes last goes home with Dh30,000 as a gift for learning the Quran.
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