Mohammed Suroor Sabban

Who was Mohammed Suroor Sabban?

Mohammed Suroor Sabban was a prominent civil and state leader, politician, economist, publisher, and poet from Hejaz. He was born in Qunfodah, and raised in Mecca.

He was a member of the 'Hejazi National party' which striped the Hashemites crown from Hejaz in 1925. He was the owner and publisher of a significant newspaper in Hejaz: "Sout Al-Hejaz". He established many civil institutes in Mecca in early times, such as; The ambulance cultural society, and Al-Qirsh Society. He also participated in forming Al-Wahda sport club of Mecca.

He was appointed the second minister of finance in the Saudi reign. later he was the head of the Islamic Conference. He is also known as the 'father' of the modern Saudi economy. He embraced the liberal economic values in Saudi Arabia following the work of the Egyptian economic leader Talaat Pasha Harb. He called for collective trade instead of traditional indivisualistic or family based trade. He established dozens of trade, industrial, and financial companies in Mecca and Saudi Arabia.

He established the "Hejazi Library", which was among the first civic publisher houses in Hejaz and the Arabian peninsula. It published Mohammed Hasan Awwad's famous book on reform : 'Khawater Mosarraha' in 1925. Also wrote and published the first modern book in Hejaz : 'Adab Al-Hejaz'. Sabban harbored the modernism movement; he published another famous book supporting the modern young Hejazi poets in Al-Ma'aradd', which is a collection of work by the young modern Hejazis .