The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has issued a royal decree appointing Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Fawzan bin Abdullah Al-Fawzan as the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The appointment also makes him Chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars and General President of the General Presidency for Scholarly Research and Fatwa, with the rank of Minister.

According to the statement released by the Royal Court, the decree, Royal Order No. A/111, dated 30 / 4 / 1447 AH, was issued after reviewing the relevant provisions of the Basic Law of Governance, as well as various royal decrees governing ministerial appointments and administrative structures.

The royal order which was posted on media handles of The Two Holy Mosques, Haramain, stated that the appointment was made “based on what was presented to us by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

King Salman directed that the decree be communicated to all relevant authorities for immediate implementation.

Sheikh Dr. Al-Fawzan, a distinguished Islamic scholar and long-serving member of the Council of Senior Scholars, succeeds in leading the Kingdom’s highest religious body and its fatwa authority, a position central to guiding the nation’s religious and scholarly affairs.

The appointment underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to reinforcing its religious institutions and ensuring the continued guidance of the senior scholars in matters of faith, jurisprudence, and national religious leadership.