The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has appointed Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan bin Abdullah Al-Fawzan as the new Grand Mufti. King Salman, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, announced the appointment, with Sheikh Fawzan also serving as Chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars and President of the General Presidency for Scholarly Research and Fatwa, holding the rank of a Minister.
This follows the passing of the former Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh, who died at 82 in September 2025. Born in Mecca in November 1943, Sheikh Abdulaziz was a respected religious authority, having led the General Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta and the Supreme Council of the Muslim World League. He was the third cleric to serve as Grand Mufti after Sheikh Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Shaikh and Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Baz.
The Royal Court, on behalf of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, expressed condolences, stating, “With his passing, the Kingdom and the Islamic world have lost a distinguished scholar who made significant contributions to the service of knowledge, Islam, and Muslims.”
The Grand Mufti is Saudi Arabia’s highest-ranking religious authority, responsible for issuing fatwas and guiding the nation’s Islamic affairs.
