About the Cultural Personality of the Year
Grand Imam of the Al Azhar, Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Al Tayeb was appointed as Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar in March 2010, after the passing of his predecessor, Dr Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi. Al Tayeb was formerly the president of the Al Azhar for seven years and prior to that, served for two years as the most powerful cleric in Egypt as its Grand Mufti. His scholarly influence as a leading intellectual of spans the globe. He has served as the dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Aswan, and the theology faculty of the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He has also taught in universities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.