Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan appointed as Saudi grand mufti

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has named Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan bin Abdullah Al-Fawzan as the kingdom’s new grand mufti, state media reported.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the appointment was made through a royal decree issued by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Sheikh Al-Fawzan succeeds the late Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh, who served as the country’s grand mufti until his passing on September 23.

Al-Fawzan has been a member of Ifta and the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research since 1992, as well as the Council of Senior Scholars, the Saudi Gazette reported.

In addition, he was a member of the Supervisory Committee for Preachers during the Hajj, the Islamic Fiqh Council, and the Muslim World League.

Al-Fawzan was born in Al-Qassim in 1935 and attended school in Buraidah. He graduated from the College of Shariah in Riyadh with a master's and a doctorate in fiqh. He later became the Higher Institute of Judiciary's director.

The newly appointed grand mufti is also a multi-book author and has conducted several radio shows, including the well-known Nur Ala Al-Darb programme.

Al-Fawzan succeeds Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, who died in September after more than 20 years in the role.

He was appointed on the recommendation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto Saudi ruler who has ushered in sweeping reforms in a bid to diversify the economy of the world's biggest oil exporter.

— With additional input from AFP