Ismail Abusaada (Isma‘il Abū Sa‘adah) (إسماعيل أبو سعدة) was a scholar and academic administrator with interests in promoting business and entrepreneurship among Gaza’s young people, in spite of the Israeli blockade. He was on the international faculty of the International American University and served as its Gaza academic coordinator.

Abusaada was born in the United Arab Emirates, where he received his secondary education. His family returned to Gaza, where he completed a BA and MBA in Business Administration, both from the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG). His master’s thesis was a case study of a new entrant in Gaza’s dense higher education infrastructure, the University College of Applied Sciences. 

During this time, he was also active in the NGO space, serving as an advisor to a large humanitarian organization and the CEO of the Youth Media Center. In 2015, the Center along with other NGOs held a one-day conference at the Commodore Hotel in Gaza City, featuring several prominent Gaza journalists who were able to transcend the territory’s isolation and develop broader name recognition and professional success.

Abusaada then traveled to Malaysia to work on a PhD in business administration at the International Islamic University of Malaysia. His 2022 dissertation uses political economist Sara Roy’s framework of “de-development” to diagnose how Gaza’s Israeli-engineered debility affects the local private sector, and develops a model of business sustainability in the face of this uncommon economic reality. 

A spin-off article, “The Challenge for Business Owners in the Gaza Strip,” argues, “The literature assumes that periods of instability are followed by periods of stability. Furthermore, the literature on instability never considers the unique case of one country with absolute military control trying to “de-develop” another country. Thus, the authors propose that a new term be coined, namely “prolonged instability.” 

Dr. Abusaada returned to Gaza to teach business students enrolled with the Los Angeles-based International American University. Of the thesis defense of several Palestinian MBA students, he posted on his LinkedIn, “It’s fascinating when you see your students reaching their final destination and delivering excellent presentations for their thesis [sic]. Also, you feel proud with other students when you examine their thesis and find a lot of effort and outstanding achievement.”

On 5 December 2023, Dr. Abusaada was killed in an Israeli strike (some sources indicate it was sniper fire). A friend remembered him on X, “I don’t know anyone who met you and didn’t love you. May God have mercy on you, O pure of heart and virtuous qualities.” 

The al-Jazeera correspondent Tamer Almissḥal, who had attended the 2015 journalism conference, paid tribute on X, “May God have mercy on you, the creative martyr and energetic son of Gaza, Dr. Ismail Abusaada.” 

Photo Credit: X