Council of Senior Scholars

Council of Senior Scholars is the entity responsible for issuing religious edicts on what is referred to by the King of Saudi Arabia, government entities, and individuals. It examines and formulates these opinions based on Islamic evidence. It was established in 1971 during the reign of King Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and it has not undergone any name changes, mergers, or cancellations since its establishment. The responsibilities include providing advice on religious matters related to the determination of general provisions to guide the ruler. The Council consists of senior experts in Islamic Sharia who are appointed by a Royal Decree.

The Council of Senior Scholars manages its affairs from its headquarters in Riyadh. One of its key bodies is the Permanent Committee for Research and Fatwa, which is responsible for issuing fatwas on government matters and personal affairs. This committee also conducts research, generates discussion papers for the Council, and issues fatwas based on their findings.

Council of Senior Scholars appoints a Secretary-General, who holds the rank of fifteenth, and is responsible for overseeing the General Secretariat. The appointment is made by a decision of the Council of Ministers. In 1994, King Fahd Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud issued a Royal Decree that amended the regulations governing the Council, establishing the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom as its head. In 2003, another Royal Decree was issued to define the members of the Council, with their terms serving no more than four years, except for the Chairman of the Council. In 2020, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, issued a Royal Decree to reconstitute the Council, appointing the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom, Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah Bin Muhammad Al al-Sheikh, as its chairman.

The General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars oversees various programs, one of which is the Open Council Program. This program aims to facilitate communication between the Council members and different societal groups, fostering an intellectual environment that promotes moderation and centrism among intellectual elites. Another program managed by the General Secretariat is the Program for Promoting Islamic Core Values and Rejecting Extremism and Terrorism. The primary goal of this program is to disseminate the principles of moderation and centrism rooted in the tolerant teachings, values, and ideals of Islam. Additionally, this program focuses on combating extremism and providing clarity on the concepts of intellectual, moral, and ethical security, with the aim of instilling these values in individuals' hearts.