September 05, 2019

Dubai Press Club Holds Event to Commemorate Late Habib Al Sayegh

Eminent journalists and writers recall Al Sayegh’s valuable contributions to the media and literary scene

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 05 September 2019: Dubai Press Club (DPC) today held an event to commemorate the life and work of the late journalist, author and poet, Habib Al Sayegh, Chairman of the Emirates Writers Union and Secretary General of the General Union of Arab Writers. The event brought together prominent Arab literary and media figures who recalled Al Sayegh’s distinguished career and valuable contributions to Emirati and Arab literature and culture.

During the event, several renowned Arab and Emirati poets, writers, journalists and eminent media personalities paid tribute to Al Sayegh and looked back at the significant impact he had on the development of the UAE media and literary scene. Many in attendance narrated their personal experiences and encounters with the late writer, who they said touched their lives in many ways. Al Sayegh passed away on 20 August at the age of 64.

On the occasion, Her Excellency Mona Al Marri, President of the Dubai Press Club (DPC), said: The late Habib Al Sayegh, may God bestow his mercy upon him, was a pioneering journalist who left a strong mark on the UAE’s cultural and media scene. He enriched the country’s media with his vision and powerful pen and was a great journalistic and literary mentor for the youth.”

“The UAE’s media and literary scene has lost a great national icon who dedicated his life to serving the country and supporting various causes of the Arab world. Al Sayegh’s creative legacy will remain alive and continue to inspire others,” Her Excellency added.

UAE – Cultural hub

Born in 1955, Al Sayegh received his Bachelor of Philosophy in 1977 and completed his Master of Comparative Linguistics from the University of London in 1998. Al Sayegh was committed to enhancing the status of the UAE cultural scene and made great efforts to establish the headquarters of the General Union of Arab Writers in the UAE. In 2015, he was unanimously elected as the Secretary General of the General Union of Arab Writers.

As the Secretary General of the Union, Al Sayegh worked to introduce Arab intellectuals to talented writers in the UAE by organising cultural activities in and outside the country. His efforts led to the UAE establishing a prominent cultural presence in various Arab countries including Algeria, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, Al Sayegh worked to expand the UAE cultural scene by building bridges of communication between different Arab intellectuals. He is also considered one of the pioneers of the new poetry movement in the UAE and the Gulf region. Many of his poems have been translated into several languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Chinese.

Al Sayegh held various positions such as the Chairman of the Union of the Emirates Writers, Secretary General of the General Conference of the Emirates Writers and Authors; and Deputy Editor of the Arab Writer magazine published by the General Union of Arab writers. He was also the Chairman of the National Committee of Ethical Journalism in the UAE. Al Sayegh also served as the Editor-in-Chief of Al Khaleej Newspaper in which he published a daily column.

He founded Awraq Cultural magazine and served as its editor from 1982 to 1995. Al Sayegh was responsible for editing the first page dedicated to promising journalists in Al-Ittihad newspaper in 1978, and in 1980, launched the first cultural supplement in the UAE for Al Fajr Newspaper. In 2008, the UAE Journalists Association honoured him for being the first journalist to complete 35 years in the national press service.

Al Sayegh is the recipient of several awards including the Taryam Omran Award- Pioneers of Journalism Category, which he received in 2004 and the Merit Award, branch of arts, which was conferred on him in 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. He was named the Cultural Personality of the Year at the Sharjah International Book Fair in 2012.