Dr. Osama El-Azhari was appointed Egypt’s Minister of Awqaf (Religious Endowments) in July 2024. A highly respected scholar and academic at Al-Azhar University, he previously served as the President’s Advisor for Religious Affairs, a position he assumed in
2014. Under his leadership, the ministry has prioritised renewing religious discourse,
strengthening preachers’ qualifications, and launching the Dawlet El Telawa (State of Recitation) initiative to discover young Quranic talent. El-Azhari is currently accelerating regional interfaith cooperation, concluding a landmark coexistence programme with Philippine religious leaders in September 2026, while working directly with state authorities to spearhead the revival and preservation of Cairo’s historic Islamic and heritage landmarks.