President Tokayev named among world's 500 most influential Muslims
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has been included in the 2027 edition of The Muslim 500, an annual publication recognizing the world's most influential Muslims, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Published by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center in Jordan, the list features Tokayev in its Politics category.
The publication highlights the political reforms introduced in Kazakhstan following the January 2022 unrest, when Tokayev launched his New Kazakhstan initiative aimed at reshaping the country's political system.
In June 2022, voters approved constitutional amendments in a nationwide referendum, introducing limits on presidential powers, strengthening Parliament's role, and restricting the appointment of presidential relatives to government positions.
The report also notes Tokayev's victory in the November 2022 snap presidential election, in which he secured 81.31% of the vote. Under the revised constitutional framework, he was elected to a single seven-year term.
The Muslim 500 is published annually and recognizes individuals whose activities have a significant impact on Muslim communities worldwide.
The selection process takes into account public opinion, expert assessments, social indicators, and candidates' lifetime achievements, with particular emphasis on their long-term influence.
The publication features 500 individuals, with the top 50 ranked separately and the remaining 450 grouped into 13 categories covering politics, religion, business, science, culture, philanthropy, sports, and other fields.
For the first time in the publication's history, five leaders share the top spot in the 2027 edition. They are Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, who serves as Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The editors attributed the joint recognition to the leaders' roles in strengthening security cooperation among Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Türkiye.
Earlier, the Head of State sent a telegram of condolences to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, following the tragic explosion at a steel plant in Izmir province.