Top 100 Arabs 2024

65. Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah

Chairman, UAE Fatwa Council

Origin: Mauritania

Residence: UAE

Sector: Culture and Society

2023 Rank: 68

Sheikh Abdullah is widely recognised by Muslim scholars as one of the foremost authorities on the Islamic legal methodology known as usul al-fiqh.

As chairman of the UAE Fatwa Council, Sheikh Abdullah called upon community members and institutions to support the Mothers’ Endowment campaign. The Dhs1bn endowment fund was launched in March 2023 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to support the education of millions of individuals in underprivileged communities.

The head of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace, Sheikh Abdullah is widely respected for his views on religious tolerance and for encouraging harmony.

He is also an instructor at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.

Hesham Al Qassim

Tarek Sultan