Sheikh Khalid Al-Ghamdi has been an imam at the Grand Mosque in Makkah since 2008. Al-Ghamdi was born in Makkah, and completed memorizing the Qur’an under the supervision of a Pakistani cleric in Makkah at the age of 16. He completed his schooling in Makkah, and continued his education at Umm Al-Qura University with a bachelor’s degree in Dawah, a master’s degree in Recitation and Tafseer of Qur’an, and a doctorate in the same department. He was chosen as a lecturer at the university’s recitation department, and then became an associate professor in Qur’an sciences. Al-Ghamdi started calling for prayers as an imam in a small mosque in Makkah. In 2004, he was appointed to the Ramadan correction team in the Grand Mosque, and as deputy imam during the busy season. He was appointed as a permanent imam in 2008, and during his first prayer, Isha prayer, as his voice echoed around the Grand Mosque he cried profusely. Al-Ghamdi was appointed as imam of Masjid Al-Haram after a royal decree was issued. He delivered his first Khutbah (speech) in the Grand Mosque on Sept. 4, 2015. During Friday’s prayer, he gave a speech that concentrated on the Prophet Muhammad’s youngest daughter, Fatima. She accompanied him from an early age and did not leave his side, witnessing great events in his life. Al-Ghamdi gave examples of the times when non-believers threw a jug on the top of Prophet’s head while he prayed at the Kaaba and it was Fatima who hurried to remove the dirt. He said: “It is our duty to know this blessed woman and set her as an example to our youngsters.”