Overview
- King Salman appointed Al-Fawzan by royal decree on the recommendation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
- The role carries ministerial rank and leadership of the Council of Senior Scholars and the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta.
- He succeeds Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh, who died in September after more than two decades as grand mufti.
- A veteran scholar since the early 1990s, he is known for the Noor ala al-Darb radio program and numerous books, and his past pronouncements have drawn criticism cited by Human Rights Watch.
- Experts say the selection maintains the established religious order as the state advances social and economic reforms.