Sultan of Oman Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies & Director, National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies, Australia
Originally from the Maledives, Prof. Dr Abdullah Saeed is currently a professor of Arab and Islamic studies at the University of Melbourne, Australia. He has published 15 books and a large number of articles. His publications cover Qur’anic hermeneutics, Islam in the West, reform of Islamic education and Islamic economy and Islamic banking. Saeed is a member of the UNESCO Commission of Australia and a board member of the Australia-Thailand Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Australia. He is well-known for his inter-faith activities and progressive outlook and is considered one of the key Muslim thinkers in Australia. He was elected a fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities in 2010.