ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have been named among the world’s Top 50 Most Influential Muslims for 2027, highlighting their political leadership and influence across the Muslim world.

‘The Muslim 500: The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims,’ an annual publication that ranks the most influential Muslims in the world, this week issued its list of 50 most influential Muslims for 2027.

The publication, compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in Amman, ascertains the influence some Muslim figures have culturally, ideologically, financially, politically or otherwise to make a change to have a significant impact on Muslims worldwide.

The 2027 edition includes Saudi, Pakistani and Turkish leaders on ‘Joint No. 1’ slot, citing the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement between the three counties as the main reason behind it.

“This 2027 edition captures a historic turning point, highlighting five leaders whose shared vision for collective security has completely transformed modern Islamic diplomacy,” the publication wrote.

“Signed on 7 August, 2026, and activated during an emergency summit in Riyadh, this mutual-defense pact unites the immense wealth of Saudi Arabia, the advanced tech and manufacturing of Türkiye, and the powerful military strength of Pakistan into a collective alliance.”

The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement stipulates an armed attack on any one of the three countries as an attack on all. It was signed amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, following United States (US) attacks against Iran and Tehran’s counter attacks against US interests as well as energy and civilian infrastructure in Gulf countries.

Officials have said that the trilateral pact is defensive in nature.

The Muslim 500’s Top 50 list also includes Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Pakistani religious scholar Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani and others.