Mohammed al-Tuwayan

Mohammed al-Tuwayan (1945-2025) was a Saudi actor and writer who presented several theatrical and television works, such as the series 'Awdat Aswid.' In 2024, he received the Theater and Performing Arts Award in its fourth edition as part of the National Cultural Awards Initiative.

Mohammed al-Tuwayan was born in Amman, the capital of Jordan, but his origins trace back to Qassim Province, specifically Buraydah City. His father was among those who participated in the Aqilat trade expeditions. At the age of thirteen, his father left Qassim for the Levant, where he lived for ten years before returning to Buraydah, getting married, and then moving again to Jordan, where he settled in Amman. Due to the circumstances of that time, he later moved to Ar'ar while he was still in elementary school.

His early participation in school performances at the end-of-year celebrations in Ar'ar marked the beginning of his journey in acting and theater, despite the limited theatrical resources available at the time. During middle school, al-Tuwayan and his classmates established a theater with symbolic ticket prices, which helped attract audiences to their plays.

In 1965, he moved to the capital, Riyadh, to continue his education in drama at the literary track in high school. However, he did not complete his secondary studies at that time. He later enrolled in the Institute of Art Education, which enabled him to perform a play with his colleagues.

In 1968, Mohammed al-Tuwayan, along with the director of the Saudi television station Fawzan al-Fawzan, director Ibrahim al-Hamdan, and some of his colleagues, co-wrote the first Ramadan television series titled 'Ahlam Saeeda Ya Hassan'.

He was sent on a scholarship to the United States to study theater and visual arts and participated in university plays at the time. However, he did not complete his studies and returned to Saudi Arabia after five years.

The passing of his friend Mohammed Ali had a profound impact on his life, leading him into a state of depression that lasted for about nine years and kept him away from acting during that period. He later returned and overcame his condition through drama and visual arts.

Throughout his artistic career, Mohammed al-Tuwayan presented several theatrical and television productions. Among them was 'Tabeeb Bil-Misha’ab,' the first play broadcast on Saudi television in 1973. He also wrote 'Awdat Aswid', one of the most prominent works in Saudi television history, in 1985. He participated in the third season of 'Tash Ma Tash' in 1995 and supervised the fourth season in 1997. Additionally, he contributed to writing 'Kuluna Iyal Qariya' and 'Luabat al-Shaitan,' participated in 'Ghashamsham', and played a role in the series 'Asayel.'

In 2024, the Ministry of Culture honored Mohammed al-Tuwayan as one of the winners of the fourth edition of the 'National Cultural Awards Initiative,' where he received the Theater and Performing Arts Award.

Additionally, the Gulf Film Festival honored him for his contributions to Gulf cinema during the festival's opening ceremony, which took place in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on April 15, 2024.

The General Entertainment Authority selected Mohammed al-Tuwayan to be honored at the JOY Awards 2025, a ceremony celebrating entertainment creators in the Arab world across art, cinema, drama, music, and sports. The event is held as part of Riyadh Season.