Khalid Al-Fakhri was recently elected chairman of the Saudi National Society for Human Rights after having been the organization’s secretary-general since 2011.

Al-Fakhri will be the society’s chairman for four years.

Founded in 2004, the society aims to defend human rights by cooperating with government organizations and NGOs in Saudi Arabia and around the world.

It also aims to help build an equal society in accordance with Islamic laws, while also cooperating with international organizations working in the same field, and works toward taking the necessary procedures to deal with complaints related to the violation of human rights.

Between 2004 and 2011, he was the secretary-general of the NSHR’s monitoring and follow-up committee and a legal adviser at the society. He is involved in a number of human rights-related organizations, sits on the board of directors of the National Family Safety Program and its child support line initiative, and is a member of the Family Affairs Council committee.

Al-Fakhri has also advised government and nongovernment organizations on matters related to human rights, represented Saudi Arabia on the Arab League’s human rights committee, presented workshops on the subject, and is a visiting universities lecturer.

He gained a bachelor’s degree in law from King Saud University in Riyadh, has had a number of research papers published — including one on bribery in relation to the provisions of Islamic law and basic human rights — and is currently working on publishing study findings in connection with human rights in the Kingdom.