It is not easy for a person to enter the profession of journalism through a narrow door and leave with all his human and professional light. But the biography and journey of my colleague, friend and professor Abdullah Al-Kubai seemed written to confirm that sincere passion can navigate even the most difficult paths.
He always had a tendency to use surprising techniques to come up with the most sincere content and even in his death he surprised us all without a shred of pain or expression of anguish.
Al-Kubai started his journey into journalism as an amateur with only a burning love for journalism and a deep belief that journalism is not a temporary job, but a destiny that carefully chooses its owner.
From Jeddah, which witnessed his birth in 1959, Al-Kubai had his first dreams and moved towards the world of publishing at its simplest and most difficult level. At that time, this profession required long patience, an accurate eye and an unerring sense of aesthetics.
The path was paved with nothing but continued effort, but this humble beginning was the seed that early revealed a talent that was quietly and steadily forming.
With confident steps he rose from the field pavement to the editor-in-chief. He started as an amateur journalist and became the head of the technical department of “Al Madinah” newspaper. He then moved to the newspaper “Al-Sharq Al-Awsat” with its headquarters in London, where his experience extended beyond its borders, where he passed one of the most important stages of professional training and increased in responsibility until reaching the position of Editor-in-Chief.
There, in the heart of the Arab and international media scene, he honed his tools and gained a deeper vision of journalism’s role as a message of knowledge and influence, rather than just news production.
The journey didn’t end there. He contributed his pioneering experience when he became the editor-in-chief of the first Arab satellite magazine “TV” published by the same group, a step that reflects his ability to foresee early media transformations and deal with them in a creative and professional spirit. It was natural that upon his return to Saudi Arabia, he was appointed to the post of Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper “Al-Watan” and continued to be active in the development of journalistic discourse and the creation of influential content, before becoming the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine “Ru’a Al-Uqaziyya.”
His influence extended to the screen, where he participated in the preparation of literary television programs on the MBC channel and sports programs on the ART channel, a variety that reflected his breadth of interests and professional flexibility.
He also left an impact on the field of literature with his emotional publications, including the book “Letter to You”, in which a journalist meets a human and reveals the more intimate aspects of his personality, in which words soften in the face of sincere emotions.
Despite his rich professional achievements, Abdullah al-Kubai remained a people-friendly, kind-hearted, and gentle demeanor. He did not depend on position, but on the love of those who knew him and sat with him. He is a living encyclopedia of conversation and a friend you never tire of existing. He combines the calmness of experience and the warmth of the soul, the rigor of the profession and human delicacy.
Al-Kubai earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah in 1980. He is a wonderful father of four children. He divided his life between family responsibilities and long-standing loyalty to journalism. Journalism was not just a profession for him, it was a big house that first opened difficult doors for him and then gave him the position he deserved.
Pondering Abdullah al-Kubai’s biography reveals deep lessons about the meaning of noble resolve. The man who started from scratch did not seek temporary glory, but believed that the true path is built up step by step, and that only sincere words will survive. His experience today therefore seems to be living testimony to a generation of journalists who, through their silent work, made themselves known and left their mark on both professional and human memory.
Biography of journalist Abdullah Al-Kubai, the heart who chose journalism as a way of life, and the press responded to him with loyalty, leaving on its pages something like a light that will never go out.
Abdullah Al Qubai’s passing was like a warm kiss on the forehead of a precious person who wished to rest in peace forever. May God have mercy on him.
Okaz would like to offer our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.
It is not easy to enter the field of journalism through the narrow doors of journalism and come out bathed in all human and professional light. But the biography and itinerary of colleague, friend, and teacher Abdullah Al Qubai seems to have been written to affirm that genuine passion can pave the way, no matter how difficult the path.
He always leans into the element of surprise to produce the most authentic content, and even when stepping down, he surprised us all without showing any expression of pain or distress beforehand…
Al-Kubai began his journey into journalism as an amateur with only a deep love for words and a deep belief that journalism is not a temporary job, but a destiny that chooses its bearers carefully.
From Jeddah, where he was born in 1959, Al-Kubai had his first dreams and entered the world of printing from the simplest and most difficult levels. At that time, this profession required long patience, a keen eye and a perfect aesthetic sense.
The road was not paved with anything other than continuous work. But this humble beginning was the seed that early revealed a talent that was quietly and steadily forming.
Starting as an amateur journalist, he confidently progressed from the field side to the position of Editor-in-Chief until he became the head of the artistic department of the newspaper “Al-Madina”, and then his experience spread beyond the borders of his native country, moving to the London-headquartered “Middle East” newspaper, where he passed through one of the most important stages in his professional formation, increasing in responsibility until he reached the position of Editor-in-Chief.
There, in the heart of the Arab and international media scene, he honed his tools and gained a deeper vision of journalism’s role as a message of knowledge and influence, rather than just news production.
The journey didn’t end there. When he took over the editorial leadership of TV, the first Arab satellite magazine published by the group, he contributed pioneering experience, a step that reflected his ability to forestall incipient media transformation and respond to it with a creative and professional spirit. Upon his return to Saudi Arabia, it was no surprise that he was appointed deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Al-Watan” and continued to be active in the development of journalistic discourse and the creation of influential content, before becoming editor-in-chief of “Ruya al-Oqazia” magazine.
His influence extended to the screen as he participated in the preparation of MBC’s literary television program and ART’s sports program, creating a diversity that reflected the breadth of his interests and professional flexibility.
He also made his mark in the field of literature with emotional publications, such as Letters to You, a book in which a journalist meets a human and reveals the more intimate aspects of his personality, in which words soften when faced with sincere emotions.
Despite this rich professional record, Abdullah al-Kubai was close to his people, kind-hearted and gentle-spoken, independent of status and relying on the love of those who knew him and sat with him. He is a living encyclopedia of conversation, an ever present and indefatigable friend who combines the weight of experience and the warmth of his soul, the rigor of his profession and the tenderness of humanity.
Al-Kubai earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah in 1980, and as a great father of four, he divided his life between family responsibilities and a long-standing loyalty to journalism. Journalism was not just a profession for him, it was a big house that first opened difficult doors for him and then gave him the position he deserved.
A look back at Abdullah al-Kubai’s biography reveals a profound lesson about the meaning of noble patience. A man who started from scratch did not seek immediate glory, but believed that the path of truth is built step by step, and only sincere words can endure. His experience today therefore stands as living proof of a generation of journalists who silently made their presence known through their work and left their mark on both professional and human memory.
An emotional biography of Abdullah Al Qubai, a journalist who chose journalism as his life path. Journalism retaliated with loyalty, leaving a kind of eternal light on its pages.
Abdullah Al Qubai’s departure was like a warm kiss on the forehead of a majestic man who chose to rest in peace forever. May God have mercy on him.
And “Okaz” sends our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.
