Council of Senior Scholars (Saudi Arabia)

The Council of Senior Scholars (Hay'at Kibar al-‘Ulama - هيئة كبار العلماء, also known as the Senior Council of Ulama) is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's highest religious body, and advises the king on religious matters.[1][2][3] The council is appointed by the king, with salaries paid by the government. As of 2009, the council was made up of 21 members.[2] Saudi King Fahd continued the precedent set by earlier kings of meeting weekly with Council members who resided in the capital, Riyadh.[4] In 2010, Saudi King Abdullah decreed that only members of the Council and a few other Islamic Scholars could issue fatwa in Saudi Arabia.[2]

  1. ^ "Saudi Arabia: The Coming Storm" By Peter W. Wilson p. 26-27
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference carnegie was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Bligh, Alexander. 1985. " The Saudi Religious Elite (Ulama) as Participant in the Political System of the Kingdom." International Journal of Middle East Studies 17, no. 1, 37-50
  4. ^ "Council of Senior Ulama". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 11 March 2014.