PM Shehbaz Sharif, Field Marshal Asim Munir Jointly Ranked No. 1 in World’s Most Influential Muslims List

Five prominent Muslim leaders from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye have jointly secured the top position in the 2027 edition of The Muslim 500: The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims, marking an unprecedented development in the publication’s 18-year history.

The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC), based in Amman, announced the joint No. 1 ranking, which includes Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, as well as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

According to the report, this is the first time since the publication was launched that five individuals have shared the top position.

The centre attributed the historic ranking primarily to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed on August 7, 2026, by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye. The agreement, described as a “one for all, all for one” mutual defence arrangement, is considered a significant development in regional security cooperation.

The defence partnership brings together Saudi Arabia’s economic resources, Türkiye’s technological and industrial capabilities, and Pakistan’s military strength, creating a framework for closer strategic and defence cooperation among the three Muslim-majority countries.

In the remaining top rankings, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei secured fourth position, followed by Jordan’s King Abdullah II at fifth and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at sixth. Prominent Pakistani religious scholar Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani was ranked seventh.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan secured 12th position, while Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was placed 22nd. Pakistani religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jamil ranked 32nd, while Egyptian-born Liverpool football star Mohamed Salah appeared at 39th.

Published annually by RISSC since 2009, The Muslim 500 evaluates the influence of Muslim personalities across various fields, including politics, religious scholarship, media, business, science and culture.

The 2027 edition places particular emphasis on the growing importance of collective defence and strategic cooperation among influential Muslim-majority states, with the Saudi-Pakistan-Türkiye partnership emerging as a central factor behind this year's unprecedented joint ranking.