Contemporary · born 1963
Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais عبد الرحمن بن عبد العزيز السديس
Chief Imam of Masjid al-Haram in Mecca — for a generation, the voice most associated with the Grand Mosque.
- Born
- 23 November 1963, Al-Bukayriyah, Al-Qassim
- Nationality
- Saudi
- Known for
- Precise tajwīd, deep resonant voice
- Role
- Chief Imam & Khatib, Masjid al-Haram (Mecca)
- Appointed imam
- 1984
Biography
Abdul Rahman ibn Abdul Aziz al-Sudais (born 23 November 1963 in Al-Bukayriyah, Al-Qassim) is the Chief Imam of the Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Mosque in Mecca. He was appointed an imam there in 1984, and in 2012 was made President of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, a post carrying ministerial rank.
In 2005 he was named "Islamic Personality of the Year" at the Dubai International Holy Quran Award. For a generation of Muslims worldwide, his voice — broadcast from the Grand Mosque during Ramadan taraweeh and the annual Hajj — is the sound most closely associated with Mecca itself.
How to recognise Abdul's voice
Al-Sudais recites in a measured, tajwīd-precise murattal with a deep, resonant voice that carries an unmistakable emotional weight, especially in du'ā. His is not the heavy ornamentation of the Egyptian school but a controlled, dignified line suited to leading tens of thousands in prayer.
To recognise him by ear, listen for a deep, steady register; careful, even pacing with crisp tajwīd; and a characteristic catch of emotion in the qunūt supplications that became famous through Grand Mosque broadcasts. If a recitation sounds like a Ramadan night prayer from Mecca, it is very often him.
Identify this reciter with RecitID
Recognise that deep Grand Mosque voice from Ramadan but not sure it is Al-Sudais? RecitID can confirm the reciter from a few seconds of audio, along with the exact verse.
Try Detect →Where to listen
Al-Sudais's recitation is broadcast worldwide from the Grand Mosque and carried across every Quran platform, and he is in RecitID's playback library. The sourced facts about him are on Wikipedia below.
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Reviewed by the RecitID editorial team · Updated 28 July 2026