Groundbreaking Arab journalist and humanitarian dies at 55
Saad Al Silawi, a prominent Jordanian journalist who helped to launch several Arab news outlets during a 30year career, died on Saturday morning after a six-year fight with cancer. He was 55.
Mr Al Silawi died at the Movenpick hotel in Beirut after pulmonary failure that resulted in cardiac arrest.
In 1991 he was involved in the launch of MBC, the first private free-to-air satellite broadcasting company in the Arab world.
There he interviewed prominent Middle East leaders, including former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, former Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat and the late King Hussein of Jordan.
He then joined MBC’s sister channel, Al Arabiya, on its formation in 2003, and later served as its Jordan bureau chief.
Al Arabiya’s director-general Turki Al Dakhil offered a eulogy for Al Silawi on Twitter: “You were a beloved person for all, and a brilliant journalist who fought the disease with a smile.”
Al Silawi was told he had throat cancer in 2012, and underwent a larynx removal procedure the following year. He spent a year in Canada recovering and later spoke using an artificial voice box device.
In an interview a year after the diagnosis, Al Silawi said “we will all die at some point”.
His colleagues took to Twitter to share memories of the journalist. Sarah Dundarawy, a television presenter at Al Arabiya, described Al Silawi as “an enthusiastic journalist in his profession, a kind friend to all and a fun spirit”.
His work took him around the world in pursuit of Arab news. In the 1990s, he covered the civil war in Algeria.
He reported from Iraq over three decades, including during both Gulf wars. He covered Lebanon during the 2006 war.
“I was everywhere ... a lot of places were very very difficult and very very dangerous,” Silawi told Al Arabiya in 2014.
He was known for his intelligent questions and personable interviewing style, which gave him access to world leaders, including former US presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush.
He was also known for his humanitarian work, leading several fund-raising and charity events in his later years to help those in need in Jordan.
In 2014, King Abdullah II paid tribute to Al Silawi by awarding him the Jordanian Medal for Distinguished Giving.
Al Silawi’s work took him around the world in pursuit of Arab news