Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Eminent Saudi writer, businessman Abdul-Maqsoud Khoja dies

Eminent Saudi writer, businessman Abdul-Maqsoud Khoja dies

Several prominent figures, including writers, cultural figures, businessmen and social media activists mourned the death of eminent Saudi writer and businessman Abdul-Maqsoud Khoja. He was 86. Khoja died in a hospital in the United States of America on Saturday.
Khoja is regarded as one of the most important symbols of the cultural movement in the Kingdom. He has led several cultural and social activities in Saudi Arabia, most notably the establishment of Ithnainiyah Literary Cultural Forum in Jeddah in 1982. He was also the founder and chairman of the Khojah Group, a Jeddah-based real estate development company.

Born in Makkah in 1936, Khoja held several Saudi government positions before quitting the job to switch over to business. These included the delegate of the Saudi Royal Court to the Saudi Commission in Beirut; representative of the press office of the Saudi embassy in Lebanon; and director of the General Directorate for Broadcasting, Press and Publication in Jeddah before the establishment of the ministries of culture and information.

During the year 1964, Khoja resigned from government job and turned to self-employment, and founded several companies in the field of construction, contracting and industry, including the Khoja Group, which is specialized in developing housing projects. As founder and chairman of the Khoja Group, he participated in several commercial, industrial and real estate activities in the Kingdom and abroad.

Khoja was the co-founder of Khaled Al-Faisal Center for Moderation. He served as the founder and the honorary member of the House of Artists and House of Photographers, as well as the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Jeddah and Makkah. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Science Club and Cairo League of Modern Literature; member of the Honorary Board of Jeddah Science and Technology Center and the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The International Encyclopedia of Arabic Literature (Adab) noted in a condolence message that Khoja offered remarkable contributions to the Arab thought and literature through his famous Ithnainiyah Forum, which honored around 452 writers and cultural figures from all over the world. “May God bestow him forgiveness and mercy and accommodate him in His Paradise, and give his bereaved family members and relatives patience and solace to bear with this loss,” Adab said in a statement on its Twitter account.

The Modern Literature Association in Cairo awarded Khoja an honorary fellowship in appreciation of his efforts in sponsoring the literary and intellectual movement in the Kingdom. Ithnainiyah Forum was honored as a cultural institution by the Ministry of Information in 2010.

Writers, thinkers and journalists from within Saudi Arabia and various parts of the world were keen to attend this literary forum, during which more than 440 scholars, thinkers and writers were honored ever since its establishment.

Khoja’s cultural activities vary under the umbrella of Ithnainiyah Forum, which is held every Monday evening in Darati in Jeddah, which he founded to celebrate the prominent figures in the fields of literature, poetry and thought 40 years ago, through which he honored prominent literary figures and intellectuals within Saudi Arabia and various other countries around the world. They included internationally acclaimed scholars and preachers including Sheikh Abul Hassan Ali Nadwi of India, and Ahmed Deedat of South Africa, and many Saudi prominent figures such as poet Ibrahim Al-Awaji, woman medical scientist and former Shoura Council member Dr. Hayat Sindi, leading physician Dr. Khawla Al-Kuraya, and writers such as Safeya Bin Zager, and Maryam Al-Baghdadi.

Khoja documented all these honoring events and meetings with distinguished personalities and printed them in a series of books. There are a total of 185 volumes of Ithnainiyah publications. He was also interested in collecting and documenting the literary works of old Saudi writers, and presented them to interested readers for free of charge. In 2013, Khoja had given nine manuscripts dating back more than 500 years ago as a gift to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) in order to showcase them in one of its public museums.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Saudi Arabia Faces Uncertainty Over Succession After Mohammed bin Salman
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
×