Saudi Arabia appointed on Wednesday Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan as the country's new grand mufti, the kingdom's top religious scholar.
The decision came after a royal order was issued by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, based on the recommendation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
Sheikh Saleh takes the post after the September death of Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, who held the position of grand mufti for a quarter century.
Sheikh Saleh, born Sept. 28, 1935, in Saudi Arabia's al-Qassim province, studied the Quran with a local imam after his father's death. He became a prominent scholar, speaking to the faithful via the “Noor ala al-Darb,” or “Light the Way,” radio show and via multiple books he's authored and his television appearances.