Royal Decree Appoints Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan as New Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia
Riyadh | September 25, 2025 — In a landmark royal decree issued by King Salman bin Abdulaziz, His Eminence Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Fawzan bin Abdullah Al-Fawzan has been appointed as the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars, and General President of the General Presidency for Scholarly Research and Fatwa, with the rank of Minister.
The new appointment places Dr. Al-Fawzan at the helm of the Kingdom’s highest religious authority. He will lead the Supreme Ulema Council, oversee the issuance of official fatwas, and guide scholarly research across various Islamic disciplines.
Responding to the appointment, Dr. Al-Fawzan expressed gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and pledged to discharge his duties “in service to Allah, the Muslim Ummah, and the preservation of Islamic scholarship.”
He replaces the late Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh, who passed away at the age of 82 after serving over two decades. The transition comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is further consolidating the integration of religious leadership with evolving national priorities and global Islamic scholarship.
With this key appointment, Saudi Arabia underscores the continuing role of its religious institutions in shaping international Islamic thought, while reaffirming the Grand Mufti’s role in safeguarding Islamic jurisprudence and moral guidance in a rapidly changing world.
