Jordan-based RISSC also places Saudi king, crown prince and Turkiye’s Erdogan jointly at top, citing Makkah pact
DNA
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir have jointly secured top spots on the 2027 edition of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims list, alongside Saudi King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The annual publication ‘The Muslim 500: The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims’ has released its 2027 list, ranking the most influential Muslims around the world.
The publication, compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Amman, said this was the first time multiple individuals had jointly secured the top position. It attributed the joint ranking to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.
“This unified top spot features five individuals, it is actually divided into three shared entries that represent a massive shift in how Muslim nations are working together to protect one another. The main reason for this historic decision is the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement,” the publication read.
“Signed on August 7, 2026, and activated during an emergency summit in Riyadh, this mutual-defence pact unites the immense wealth of Saudi Arabia, the advanced tech and manufacturing of Turkiye, and the powerful military strength of Pakistan into a collective alliance.
“Modelled on a ‘one for all, all for one’ approach to security, this pact has completely reshaped regional politics,” it added.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is ranked fourth, followed by Jordan’s King Abdullah II at fifth. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is placed sixth, while Pakistani religious scholar Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Usmani ranked seventh.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is ranked 12th, while Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi occupies the 22nd position. Pakistani religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jameel is ranked 32nd.
Footballer Mohamed Salah is placed at 39th and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at 45th. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is ranked 49th on the list.
The report also highlighted Pakistan’s economic and diplomatic challenges over the past year, noting that the country had navigated economic stabilisation efforts, regional security pressures and diplomatic balancing between major powers.
