Abdul Hamid Ahmad is a journalist and short-story writer from the United Arab Emirates. Born in Dubai in 1957, he embarked on his literary journey in the early 1970s by writing short stories that were featured in several magazines at the time including: Akhbar Dubai, Al Ahli and Al Majma. His talent for short-story writing led him to the diverse and rich world of journalism, where he began his career by joining Al Azmina Al Arabia magazine (published in Sharjah) in 1979, later becoming its editor-in-chief. Next, he worked in Al Ittihad daily (published in Abu Dhabi) before moving to Al Bayan newspaper in 1988, where he worked as a financial editor and later as a managing editor until 2000. He then moved to Gulf News, a daily English language newspaper published in Dubai, becoming its editor-in-chief since 2000 to date.
Abdul Hamid Ahmad is known for his realistic literary style, which he uses to depict everyday life in general and portray its various aspects. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for being one of the authors of the satirical column “Maa’l Nas” (With the People), which is published in Al Bayan newspaper. He has a wide readership who follow his articles about people’s daily lives and mundane happenings. He also wrote other columns such as “Qatrat Daw’” (Speck of Light) in Azmina Arabia magazine and “Lahthat Saheel” (Neighing Moment) in Al Ittihad daily.
Abdul Hamid Ahmed has also contributed to the field of public service in several ways, as he was the first Chairman of the Emirates Writers Union, which was established in 1981, and is Secretary General of the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation. In addition, he is a member of a number of local societies and cultural associations such as the Cultural and Scientific Association, Laila Children’s Theatre and the UAE Journalists’ Association among many others.
Moreover, he has participated in many local, Arab and international conferences, symposiums and cultural festivals and has taken part in numerous scientific and media events, representing the UAE in many of these events.
His repertoire of publications includes many pioneering books including his short story collection, Al Sibaha fi Ainai Khaleej Yatawahash (Swimming in the Eye of a Savage Gulf), published in 1982 by Dar Kalima Publishing, Beirut, Lebanon, which was then followed by Al Baydar, another collection that was published in 1984 by the same publishing house and Ala Hafat Al Nahar (On the Edge of Morning), published in 1993 by Emirates Writers Union.
Abdul Hamid Ahmad’s short story collections have received wide critical acclaim due to the great passion and human richness they display. Not only do his short stories depict local reality, their intense language and unique style are on par with major short story authors. This has led the UAE Ministry of Education to enlist his name in school syllabuses as a distinguished writer who succeeded in portraying local characters with great skill and who managed to capture in his writings the important role played by simple people in social life.
Other publications by Abdul Hamid Ahmad include a number of books that feature collections of his published newspaper articles, which address the worries of the Emirati and Arab nation and others that satirically tackle international events with a wit that provides a breath of fresh air in the heat of everyday happenings. These collections include: Kharbashat fi Hudood Al Mumkin (Scribbles within the Boundaries of the Possible), published in 1997 by Al Bayan Press Printing and Publishing, Al Nitham Al Aalami Al Dahek (The Laughing World Order), published in 2000 by Emirates Writers Union and Juyoob Anfiyya Li Ihlal Al Salam (Sinuses for Peace Implementation), published in 2003 by Dar Al Mada, Damascus, Syria.
Abdul Hamid Ahmed is currently Editor-in-Chief of Gulf News Daily and is also Secretary General of the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation. He also has a website, which features his short stories and articles, as well as some studies written about his work. https://abdulhamidahmad.com