Article in Saudi Arabia

The Article in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a form of artistic prose that presents a topic coherently, showcasing the writer's idea and conveying it clearly to the reader and listener.

The rise of the article in the Kingdom is closely tied to the growth of journalism. During the 1980s and 1990s, the article experienced a period of flourishing, marked by the prominence of realistic, structured, and diverse academic criticism. Several critics, who also served as university professors, emerged during this time, giving rise to two main critical movements: academic criticism and journalistic criticism.

Since its inception in the Kingdom, the article has been closely associated with journalism. After the unification of the Kingdom, specifically after the annexation of Hejaz in 1924, several newspapers were issued that helped the article flourish in the Kingdom. Among these were Umm al-Qura, which was issued concurrently with the graduation of several educated individuals from educational centers spread across Jeddah, Makkah al-Mukarramah, and al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, and "Sawt al-Hejaz," issued in 1932, as well as "al-Manhal Magazine," issued in 1937.

These newspapers greatly favored the art of the article by focusing on literature and giving it special attention, enabling writers to write and convey their ideas to the public. At that time, the Kingdom witnessed a scientific renaissance, sending educational missions to Egypt and Arab countries to increase the number of educated individuals. Notable writers who emerged during that period include Ahmed al-Arabi, Hamza Shehata, Mohammed Hassan Awwad, Mohammed Omar, Aziz Diab, and Abdullah Bin Khamis.

The article in the Kingdom was shaped by two distinct movements: the first was the traditional movement, led by newspaper owners and established members of journalistic institutions; the second was the modern movement, driven by young, emerging writers introducing fresh perspectives.

The topics of the article in the Kingdom were diverse. Religious articles were at the forefront, followed by literary articles, critical articles, social articles, then political, economic, and scientific articles. Social article topics held special significance among their writers, who criticized poor customs and traditions, challenged habits alien to society, and fought poverty and bad morals. The social article was characterized by several artistic features, including reliance on the exclamatory sentence, attention to the idea, and distance from imagination. Among its writers were Mohammed Saeed Abdul-Maqsoud Khoja, Abdul-Karim al-Jahaiman, and Abdullah Bin Khamis.

The articles in the Kingdom varied, and among its types was the personal article, whose writers paid attention to the rhythmic aspect. Some leaned towards the narrative approach, while others took a visual approach. Artistically, the personal article was distinguished by its writers' inclination to use the vocabulary of the romantic lexicon. Among its writers were Aziz Diab and Abdullah al-Jafri. Another type was the "objective article," also called the "critical article," characterized by aggression and a tendency towards rivalry, relying on provocative headlines. Among its writers were Ahmed Abdul-Ghafur Attar and Mohammed Hassan Awwad.

In 1926, several emerging writers published books that included their articles previously featured in newspapers. These works include "Adab al-Hejaz" compiled by Mohammed Sorour al-Sabban, "Khawatir Musarraha" by Mohammed Hassan Awwad, and "al-Ma'radh", also compiled and published by Mohammed Sorour al-Sabban. Additionally, "Nafathat Min Aqlam al-Shabab al-Hejazi" was compiled by Hashem al-Zawawi, Ali Hassan Fadaaq, and Abdul-Salam al-Sasi. Later, in 1937, "Wahi al-Sahra" was published, compiled by Mohammed Saeed Abdul-Maqsoud Khoja and Abdullah Bal-Khayr.

The literary article witnessed significant development during a decade from the start of institutional newspapers, as Saudi scholars returned from Egypt, Britain, and America after obtaining high academic degrees in literature. Cultural magazines and literary supplements that focused on the art of the article appeared, such as al-Faisal Magazine, al-Arabiyah Magazine, and the magazines of literary clubs. This resulted in specialized literary writings by several authors, including Mansour al-Hazimi, Mohammed Bin Saad Bin Hussein, Ghazi al-Gosaibi, Abdullah al-Ghadhami, Hassan al-Huwaimil, Mu'jib al-Zahrani, and Saeed al-Surayhi.

Several studies emerged that dealt with Saudi literature and the art of the article in the Kingdom in terms of origin, development, writers, and styles. One of the important studies is the one presented by Mohammed al-Awain to obtain a master's degree from Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, entitled "Article in Modern Saudi Literature." It shed light on the art of the article and its writers in the Kingdom in detail and thoroughly, from 1924 to 1980. The thesis was published in a two-part book in 1992.