Departure of a great Journalist, Farouk Muhammad Ali Luqman
The Arab press lost one of its most Dynamic symbols, journalist, Farouk Mohammed Ali Luqman, at the age of 84, after a busy career he spent in local and international journalism. Farouq was the son of the pioneer of enlightenment in Yemen the Lawyer Mohammed Ali Luqman.
Mohammed Ali Luqman Forum for Studies in Europe extends its deepest condolences and sympathy to Maher, Huda and Zainab Mohammed Ali Luqman, Mr. Farouq’s brothers. As well as to his Siblings Dr. Wahi, Daffer , Abdullah , Yomn and Maher and to all the family of our great deceased. We also extend our condolences to the Arab press community for the passing away of one of its founding pillars. We console ourselves and all his friends and loved ones, asking Allah to rest his soul in peace
Biography:
1935: Farouq Muhammad Ali Luqman was born in Aden, where he attended school until he completed his primary and secondary education.
1958: Bachelor’s degree from University of Bombay in Political Science and History.
1962: Master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia University. USA.
1963-1967: Worked in the publishing house owned by his father, Muhammad Ali Luqman, where several news papers were in Arabic and English. During this period, he also worked as a reporter in Aden for a number of international Newspapers, the Daily Mail, the Financial Times and the New York Times , Newsweek, Associated Press and the International United News Press.
1966-1968: After his father’s death, he became the head of the publishing house and editor in chief of the newspapers Fatat Al Jaziera and The Aden Chronicle.
1968: The publishing house owned by the Luqman family was nationalized by the left-wing political system that took power in Southern Yemen after independence from British Colonialism. Following harassment and violence. The Luqman’s family were forced to leave the country and abandon their homes. Mr Farouq later settled in the Gulf where he worked as a journalist until he passed away.
1974: He founded the first English-language newspaper (Arab News) in the Gulf and was its Managing Editor for almost 20 years. He established ‘Malyalam News’ in 1999 and was Chief Editor and later ‘Urdu News’ , the only newspapers published outside India . He certainly played a leading role in the development of English-language Journalism in the region.
He was also the Managing Editor of several Arabic-language newspapers and contributed to the launch of some of them, such as Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, published in Londo where he had a daily column entitled “World Without Boundaries” . He wrote for many years and gained a worldwide reputation as an outstanding columnist, he was considered one of the first founders of a special kind of intensive and concise press column in the Arab world.
He wrote more than 5,000 columns for Al-Eqtisadiah and Al Asharq Al-Awsat, sister publications of Arab News, he wrote in many Yemeni newspapers such as Al Ayam and 14th He also wrote many books in Arabic, ‘Basamat’, ‘Indian spices’, ‘Taiwanese stories’ and his famous book ‘Tadweel Al Sahafa ‘ on the Hafiz brothers his employers of Arab News and his Memoirs ‘50 years Journalism’.
In English he wrote ‘Yemen Today’, ‘Southern Yemen’ and many other books. During his career he met and interviewed world leaders such as the Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi, Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos and Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
In his later life he became an adviser to the publishers of Saudi Research organization and because of his vast experience as a journalist, Farouq Luqman was chosen to teach at the Prince Ahmad bin Salman Center for Training Journalists. He was recognized as an excellent and outstanding teacher and a good friend to the students who came to study Journalism under him, and to whom he offered all his knowledge and expertise.
