Saudi: Eminent writer, businessman Abdul-Maqsoud Khoja dies – Gulf Insider

Several prominent figures, including writers, cultural figures, businessmen and social media activists mourned the death of eminent Saudi writer and businessman Abdul-Maqsoud Khoja. He was 86. Khoja died in a hospital in the United States of America on Saturday.

Khoja is regarded as one of the most important symbols of the cultural movement in the Kingdom. He has led several cultural and social activities in Saudi Arabia, most notably the establishment of Ithnainiyah Literary Cultural Forum in Jeddah in 1982. He was also the founder and chairman of the Khojah Group, a Jeddah-based real estate development company.

Khoja held several Saudi government positions before quitting the job to switch over to business. Khoja founded several companies in the field of construction, contracting and industry, including the Khoja Group, which is specialized in developing housing projects.

Khoja was 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.

Khoja’s cultural activities vary under the umbrella of Ithnainiyah Forum, which is held every Monday evening in Darati in Jeddah, which he founded to celebrate the prominent figures in the fields of literature, poetry and thought 40 years ago, through which he honoured prominent literary figures and intellectuals within Saudi Arabia and various other countries around the world.

Khoja documented all these honouring events and meetings with distinguished personalities and printed them in a series of books. There are a total of 185 volumes of Ithnainiyah publications. He was also interested in collecting and documenting the literary works of old Saudi writers, and presented them to interested readers for free of charge. In 2013, Khoja had given nine manuscripts dating back more than 500 years ago as a gift to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) in order to showcase them in one of its public museums.

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