From the Orient and the Desert - Ghazi A. Algosaibi

Ghazi A. Algosaibi (1940-2010) was born in al-Hasa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He received his LLB from Cairo University, his MA in International Relations from the University of Southern California, and his PhD in Political Science from the University of London. He joined King Saud University in Riyadh as a lecturer in 1965 and became dean of the Faculty of Commerce in 1971. In 1974 he was appointed as Director of Railroads, subsequently serving as Minister of Industries and Electricity from 1975-1982, and as Minister of Health, 1982-1984. In 1984 he became Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Bahrain, serving until 1992, when he was appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom. He served in this role until 2002, subsequently taking the posts of Minister of Water and Electricity (until 2004), and Minister of Labour until his death in 2010. He was a well known and distinguished author of both poetry and prose. His published works of Arabic poetry include: Poems from the Pearl Islands, Drops of Thirst, Battle without Flags, Romantic Verses, Yes Riyadh, Fever, Return to Precious Places, Flowers in Sana’s Braids, Obituary of a former Knight, and Necklace of Stones. His prose works include: From Here and There, In My Humble Opinion, More of My Humble Opinion, Face to Face with Development, Poetry I Liked, A Life in Poetry, A Hundred Rose Petals, The Cultural Invasion, Arabian Essays, and The Gulf Crisis: An Attempt to Understand. He was survived by one daughter and three sons.