Log on to Google today, and you’ll see the face of one of the 20th centuries great intellectuals—Abdul Rahman Munif, also known as Abdelrahman, perhaps Saudi’s greatest novelist, journalist and culture critic in history.
Today would have been his 90th birthday, though he sadly passed away in 2004 at the age of 70.
For the uninitiated, who is the great writer? Well, first off, he’s renowned for his quintet of novels entitled ‘Cities of Salt’, published from 1984 to 1989.
Those books chronicled one of the biggest changes in the Arab world over the last century, the oil era, and to this day are seen as the definitive chronicle of that cultural shift.
That’s not the only book that people love of him, of course. His books Endings (Al-Nihayat) from 1978, East of the Mediterranean (Sharq al-Mutawassit) as well as the Land of Darkness trilogy (Ard Al Sawad) published in 1999 are also hugely beloved by multiple generations of readers.
Abdul Rahman Munif: A life history
In the passionate throes of the year 1952, a young Munif found himself embarking on an intellectual journey to Iraq, the cradle of civilization, committed to mastering the intricate discipline of law at the prestigious University of Baghdad. The ripples of his academic pursuit didn’t stop there. After bidding farewell to Iraq, he set his sights on Egypt’s vibrant capital, earning himself a degree from the esteemed Cairo University.
As though guided by an insatiable thirst for knowledge, Munif headed for the University of Belgrade, where he further broadened his intellectual horizon by securing a Ph.D. in petroleum economics in 1961. This culminated into a remarkable career as a stalwart of the oil industry, serving as a strategic economist in Baghdad, then for the Oil Ministry in Syria, and eventually making his mark within the influential corridors of OPEC.
A dedicated resident of Iraq, Munif’s voice echoed through the pages of the monthly periodical al-Naft wa al-Tanmiyya (Oil and Development), where he served as a diligent editor. Even amid this professional whirlwind, his childhood fascination with literature remained undimmed.
Saudi Arabia’s greatest novelist
Rooted in the conviction that “the mission of literature is to increase awareness,” Munif began weaving narratives of his own, dabbling in several short stories, before fearlessly navigating the labyrinthine process of book production.
Munif, while navigating the high-stakes world of petroleum economics, never lost sight of his dream to enlighten minds through the powerful medium of the written word. His journey is a testament to his enduring belief that knowledge is the wellspring of enlightenment and progress.
Here’s a great talk with him and Syrian artist Marwan, btw:
Abdul Rahman Munif is gone but not nearly forgotten, with his 15 novels and 9 non fiction books translated into 10 languages, with his awards including the the Al-Owais Cultural Award in 1989 and the Award of Cairo Gathering for Arab Creativity in Novel Writing in 1998 notable achievements dwarfed by his huge cultural legacy overall.
Happy birthday, Abdul Rahman Munif!