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She was among 450 figures who received honourable mentions for various categories of influence.
November 02, 2025, 11:28 AM
The former president of Singapore, Halimah Yacob, has been named once more on a list of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims.
The ranking, which was compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan for 2026, highlighted Halimah for her contribution to social issues and “strong international profile”.
She first appeared on the the list during her time as president in 2018, and previously received her highest ranking of 36th in 2022.
Contributions to Singapore’s society
Halimah was among 450 figures who received honourable mentions for various categories of influence.
She was commended by the list for her promotion of initiatives to support a cohesive society, strengthen interfaith relations and recognition of workers who contribute to Singapore’s growth.
The ranking also noted that she regularly met world leaders.
Her presidency, as Singapore’s eighth and first female president, and her decision to not run for a second term were also given a noteworthy mention.
Under the top 50 rankings for 2026, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim ranked 10th, while Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto ranked 15th.
First place went to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar.
Other Singaporeans on the list
Several other notable Singaporeans and Singaporean residents also received honourable mentions for their various contributions in law, politics, education and research in Singapore.
- Khairudin Aljunied, historian and lecturer at the National University of Singapore (NUS),
- Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Singapore’s ambassador to Kuwait,
- Syed Hassan Alattas (Habib Hassan), religious leader and teacher,
- Mohamed Faizal, Judicial Commissioner,
- Mustafa Izzuddin, writer, international analyst and senior lecturer at NUS, and
- Jackie Y Ying, nanotechnology scientist.
Top photo via Halimah Yacob/Facebook
