RIYADH – Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh, has passed away, the Kingdom announced.

Funeral prayers will be held this afternoon at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh following the Asr prayer. Absentee funeral prayers will also be performed in the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah, as well as in mosques across the Kingdom.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have conveyed their condolences to the family of the late Grand Mufti, to the Saudi people, and to the wider Islamic world on his passing.

Sheikh Abdulaziz, who held the position of Grand Mufti for many years, was regarded as one of the most influential religious figures in the Kingdom and the broader Muslim community.