Saeed Al-Sareehi
Saeed Musleh Al-Sareehi, (1953 -2026), a Saudi critic, writer, and journalist, former faculty member at Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, with literary publications and contributions in cultural forums and seminars.
Education
Saeed Al-Sareehi studied for his bachelor's degree at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, in the Arabic Language Department, graduating in 1976. He pursued further studies, obtaining a master's degree from Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah Al-Mukarramah with a thesis titled "The Poetry of Abu Tammam Between Classic Criticism and Modern Criticism" in 1988. In the same year, he submitted his doctoral thesis "Renewal in Poetic Language Among Innovators in the Abbasid Era," and the examination committee recommended awarding him the doctorate after a public discussion.
Career
After graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1967, Saeed Al-Sareehi started working in general education for two years. He then moved to Makkah Al-Mukarramah to join the teaching staff at Umm Al-Qura University until his retirement in 1997. During this period, he also collaborated with Okaz newspaper since 1984. After retiring from university teaching, he dedicated his time to Okaz, becoming the assistant editor-in-chief and supervising cultural sections. He was a member of the board of directors of the Literary and Cultural Club in Jeddah during the years 1985-2005.
Publications
Saeed Al-Sareehi published several works, including Al-Kitabah Kharij al-Aqwas (Writing Outside the Parentheses) released by the Jazan Literary Club in 1987, and Taqallib al-Hatab ʿala al-Nar fi Lughat al-Sard (Turning the Firewood on the Flame in the Language of Narrative), published by the Literary and Cultural Club in Jeddah in 1994. He also authored “Hijab al-ʿAdah: Arkiulujiya al-Karam min al-Khitab ila al-Tajriba” (The Veil of Habit: An Archaeology of Generosity from Discourse to Experience) released in 1996, in addition to Harakat al-Lughah al-Shiʿriyyah – Muqarabah Ula li-Shiʿr al-Muhdathin fi al-ʿAsr al-ʿAbbasi (The Movement of Poetic Language: A First Approach to the Poetry of the Modernists in the Abbasid Era) published by the Literary and Cultural Club in Jeddah in 1999, and Al-Shiʿr bi-Iʿtibarihi Ihalah (Poetry as Reference) in 2004, as well as Dhubab al-Waqt: Tadwinat ʿala Jidar al-Ḥajar (The Flies of Time: Jottings on the Stone Wall) in 2020.
Contributions
Saeed Al-Sareehi participated in festivals and scientific and cultural symposia at literary clubs and cultural societies across Saudi Arabia. He presented research and papers at seminars and conferences held in various Arab cities, including Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Sharjah, Baghdad, Tunis, Algiers, and Casablanca.
Al-Sareehi also had poetic experiences, some of which were presented at cultural events and published in magazines and newspapers inside and outside Saudi Arabia. He participated in judging several awards, including the Mohammad Al-Thibaiti Poet Award, and in 2021, he became a member of the board of directors of the first professional association for literature in Saudi Arabia.
Death
Saeed Al-Sareehi passed away on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at the age of seventy-three.
Sources
Dictionary of Literature and Writers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. King Abdulaziz Foundation. 2013 AD.
King Fahd National Library.
Ministry of Culture.
Saudi Press Agency.