JEDDAH, 7 October — Ali Hussein Shubokshi, a well-known businessman, an outstanding media person and chairman of the Dar Okaz publishing house, died after a long illness on Friday. His life was remarkable for its achievement.
The head of the Shubokshis, one of Saudi Arabia’s famous business families, he specialized in trade and contracting. The company owned by him and his brother, Fahd, became a major one during the boom. Shubokshi was the director general of Dar Okaz for eight years. He is also considered one of the founders of Tihama Advertising and Public Relations Company.
Muhammad Omar Al-Amoudi, a prominent lawyer and columnist, expressed his deep sorrow. “We have lost an important social figure,” he said and praised the late businessman’s flair for making friends and his ability to keep gatherings lively and interesting.
Rida Larry, a writer and former editor-in-chief of Saudi Gazette, said Shubokshi had been his friend since childhood. “I worked with him at Dar Okaz when I was editor-in-chief of the English daily,” Larry said.
He commended Shubokshi’s role in developing the press establishment. “When he took over the chairmanship, Dar Okaz was on the verge of bankruptcy. Thanks to his high-level contacts, Shubokshi was able to bring a number of millionaires onto the board, a move that reflected positively on its growth,” he said.
Shubokshi made remarkable efforts to promote the Kingdom’s advertising industry, especially in the establishment of the Tihama advertising company.
“He had a different opinion on newspaper contests as he considered them akin to lotteries. On the contrary, he called for holding serious cultural competitions to enhance readers’ knowledge,” Larry said. He also noted the late businessman’s charitable activities.
Khaled Al-Maeena, editor-in-chief of Arab News, said he had been close to Shubokshi for more than twenty years. “He was like a father to me. I used to go to his house and his office for advice and to benefit from his vast experience and expertise,” he said.
“I would say that Shubokshi was a great man. He took part in his friends’ joys and sorrows. I recall that despite ill-health, he made it a point to attend my daughter’s wedding,” Al-Maeena said.
Ali Mudhesh, deputy editor-in-chief of Okaz, said Shubokshi had played a major role in the establishment of a number of business firms in the Kingdom, especially in the media and advertising sectors.
“He was one of the first businessmen to introduce investment in the media. He believed that newspapers should be self-financed rather than by annual government funding,” Mudhesh said.
Shubokshi’s eldest son and a prominent businessman, Hussein, says his father taught him and his brothers the meaning and value of work, knowledge and morality by example rather than by words. “He also taught us the significance of establishing good human relations, which is the basis for the success of any work,” he added.
Abdullah Bajubeer, a renowned columnist, said he has lost a brother and a friend. “Shubokshi was a man who cared deeply for people and was ever willing to help anyone in need. He was soft-spoken and polite, especially to the needy,” he added.
