AMMAN — King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, tops the list of “500 Most Influential Personalities in the Muslim World. The Amman-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center (RISSC) said King Abdullah topped the list because of the services he has been providing to the Two Holy Mosques with Makkah being visited every year by four million pilgrims and 10 million Umrah performers. The center selects Muslim personalities according to their influence in the Muslim World, the efforts they have exerted to serve Muslims and Islamic causes, their popularity among Muslim communities, charity activities, support of science and scientists and their contribution to educating the Muslim peoples. The RISSC said King Abdullah introduced many reforms to society, combated religious fanaticism, corruption, improved educational system, assured women's rights, reformed the judicial system, and provided scholarships to over 130,000 male and female students to study abroad. He also set up King Abdullah Center for Inter-religious Dialogue in Vienna, gave women the right to vote in the municipal elections of 2015, spent over $60 billion on housing grants for citizens, set the minimum monthly salary at $800 and inaugurated the largest women's university all over the world. The King also endowed $10 billion for King Abdullah University for Science and Technology and donated hundreds of millions of dollars in aid for many disaster-stricken regions around the world. — SPA/Saudi Gazette
