Doha: Qatar has lost one of its most prominent media and cultural figures with the passing of veteran journalist, novelist, and former Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula and Al Sharq newspapers, Dr. Ahmed Abdulmalik Al Hammadi, who died yesterday at the age of 75.
Dr. Ahmed Abdulmalik was widely regarded as a towering figure in Qatar’s media and literary landscape.
Over decades of dedicated service, he made lasting contributions to journalism, literature, and academia, leaving a profound impact on generations of readers, media professionals, and students.
His influential presence enriched the cultural and media scenes in Qatar and the wider region, while his extensive body of work significantly contributed to the Arabic library.
The late Dr. Abdulmalik earned a Bachelor’s degree in Arabic Language and Literature from Beirut University in Lebanon in 1976.
He later obtained a Master’s degree in Educational Media from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo in 1983, followed by a PhD in Journalism from the University of Wales in the United Kingdom in 1989.
His professional career began early when he joined Qatar Television as a broadcaster in 1972.
He went on to hold several key positions, including Head of the Texts and Translation Unit and later Head of the News Department in 1976.
Between 1993 and 1999, he served as Director of Media Affairs at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and also worked as a consultant at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage.
In academia, Dr. Abdulmalik played a vital role in shaping media education in Qatar. He served as an Associate Professor of Media Studies at Qatar University from 1983 to 2004, and later taught at the Community College of Qatar in 2014.
He was also among the earliest contributors to Qatari journalism, beginning his writing career in 1970 through Al Orouba magazine.
Literarily, the late scholar represented a progressive and renewal-oriented movement in Qatari literature.
His creative output includes six novels, four short story collections, and approximately thirty books covering culture, literature, and media.
The Peninsula mourns the loss of Dr. Ahmed Abdulmalik and extends its deepest condolences to his family, friends, and admirers, praying that Allah grants him mercy and eternal peace.
