What Is the First Saudi Novel?

The novel 'al-Taw'aman' (The Twins) by Abdul Quddus al-Ansari is considered the first novel in the history of modern Saudi literature. Some critics even believe it to be the first novel in the Arabian Peninsula. It was printed in 1930 at al-Tarqi Press in Damascus. On its first page, the author noted that it is 'the first novel in Hejaz.'

Critics described 'al-Taw'aman' as a social reformist novel, as its story revolves around the idea of the negative impact of foreign education and the social and educational differences between the local national school and the foreign school. The novel explores how these differences affect the personalities of the two brothers in the story.

Al-Ansari was born in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. He was a writer, journalist, and historian, and the founder of al-Manhal cultural magazine. He also documented and chronicled the history of al-Madinah al-Munawwarah in the book 'Athar al-Madinah al-Munawwarah,' which was translated into both French and Malay.