Saudi Gazette report

MADINAH – Eminent Saudi thinker and writer Dr. Assem Hamdan passed away in Madinah on Saturday. He was 70. He was buried in Al-Baqi Cemetery after funeral prayer at the Prophet’s Mosque after Fajr prayer on Sunday.

Minister of Culture Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan is among those who offered their condolences to the bereaved family members of the late writer.

Mourning the death of Dr. Hamdan, several prominent figures, including writers, intellectuals and academics, paid him rich tributes, through their comments in social media, for the outstanding contributions in the cultural, academic, and literary domains spanning over more than five decades.

Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Youbi, president of King Abdulaziz University, directed the reprinting of the works of Dr. Hamdan, and compiling them in a comprehensive encyclopedia to take advantage of them as well as to distribute them among research and cultural centers and public libraries.

Dr. Al-Youbi also asked the Department of Arabic Language, the Center for Research Excellence, and the Scientific Publishing Center at the university to supervise the work of preparing the encyclopedia.

Dr. Hamdan was holder of degree in Arabic Language and Literature from Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah and a doctorate in philosophy from the English University of Manchester. He was a professor of literature and criticism at King Abdulaziz University.

He worked as advisor to minister of Haj; editor of the Haj magazine, published by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah, and advisor of the magazine’s editorial board.

He had enriched the Arab research and studies. Dr. Hamdan was also one of the most prominent historians, with specialization in the history of Madinah and the Prophet’s Mosques.

His major books in this domain include “The Journey of Passion in the Paths of Anbarism”, Memories from Al-Haswah, which contains his observations about the features of the courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque, Cheering from Bab Al-Salam, and Madinah between literature and history. His works also include comparative studies between Arab and Western literature.