Abdullah Bin Bakheet
Encyclopedia
Abdullah bin Bakheet (born 1952) is a Saudi journalist and novelist. He was born in Riyadh
and studied at King Saud University
. Upon graduation in 1978, he started working as a journalist for periodicals like al-Yamama magazine and al-Riyadh newspaper. He still writes a regular column for al-Riyadh and is well-known for his liberal views on topics such as women's rights and minority rights. He got into trouble with the Saudi morality police (Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) in 2005 when he was charged with spreading corruption and immorality through his writing.
Bin Bakheet has also written widely outside journalism, including literary and critical works, and television scripts. His recent novel Street of Affections was longlisted for the 2010 Arabic Booker Prize.
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
and studied at King Saud University
King Saud University
King Saud University is a public university located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was founded in 1957 by King Saud bin Abdul Aziz as Riyadh University, as the first university in the kingdom not dedicated to religious subjects. The university was created to meet the shortage of skilled workers in...
. Upon graduation in 1978, he started working as a journalist for periodicals like al-Yamama magazine and al-Riyadh newspaper. He still writes a regular column for al-Riyadh and is well-known for his liberal views on topics such as women's rights and minority rights. He got into trouble with the Saudi morality police (Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) in 2005 when he was charged with spreading corruption and immorality through his writing.
Bin Bakheet has also written widely outside journalism, including literary and critical works, and television scripts. His recent novel Street of Affections was longlisted for the 2010 Arabic Booker Prize.