Dubai: A prominent Saudi writer and businessman Abdul Maqsoud Khoja passed away on Saturday in the US. He was 86, Okaz newspaper reported.
Several prominent figures, including writers, cultural figures, businessmen and social media activists mourned the death of the renowned writer. Khoja is recognized as one of the most prominent emblems of the Kingdom’s cultural revolution.
He has been the driving force behind a number of cultural and social initiatives in Saudi Arabia, most notably the 1982 launch of the Ithnainiyah Literary Cultural Forum in Jeddah. Additionally, he founded and served as chairman of the Khojah Group, a Jeddah-based developer of real estate.
Born in Mecca in 1936, Khoja served in a number of government roles in Saudi Arabia before leaving his job to pursue a career in business. These included a delegate of the Saudi Royal Court to the Saudi Commission in Beirut; representative of the press office of the Saudi embassy in Lebanon; and director of the General Directorate for Broadcasting, Press and Publication in Jeddah before the establishment of the ministries of culture and information
Khoja was also the co-founder of Khaled Al Faisal Center for Moderation. He served as the founder and the honorary member of the House of Artists and House of Photographers, as well as the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Jeddah and Makkah.
He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Science Club and Cairo League of Modern Literature; member of the Honorary Board of Jeddah Science and Technology Center and the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
