Saeed al-Fayoumi (Saʿīd al-Fayūmī) (سعيد محمد العبد الفيومي) was a distinguished professor of Literature and Criticism at the al-Quds Open University (AQOU) in Gaza and a prolific scholar with an impressive curriculum vitae. He was born on 8 November 1953; his family was from al-Naʿani, a village near ʿAqir in Palestine. He was married, had seven children, and lived in al-Nusayrat Refugee Camp, Dayr al-Balah Governorate.

Saeed al-Fayoumi earned several degrees – all in Egypt: BA in Arabic Language from Alexandria University (1976); Higher Diploma in Islamic Studies from the Institute of Islamic Studies, Cairo University (1988); MA and PhD in Arabic Literature and Criticism from the Faculty of Arts, Minya University (1994 and 1997 respectively). 

He taught school in Libya (1976-79) and Saudi Arabia (1980-97) before embarking on a university career in Gaza, initially as lecturer at al-Aqsa University (1997-99). In 2000, he joined the faculty at al-Quds Open University, eventually earning the title of Professor. 

In addition to teaching, he supervised numerous master’s and doctoral theses, and extended invaluable service to the university community through his various engagements and initiatives. Among them, he developed a Comparative Literature specialization,  and chaired the scientific committee for an academic conference on “Transformations in the Contemporary Narrative Discourse in Palestine” (November 2017). He was, as well, an esteemed member of the General Federation of Palestinian Writers and Scholars and other scholarly associations.  

Dr. al-Fayoumi’s publication record during his 24 years at al-Quds Open University is outstanding – not simply for its length (18 articles), but especially its breadth. He wrote about pre-Islamic poetry, examining the importance of place and color (2007 and 2015 respectively) and of anxiety in the poetry of Antara (2003). He has articles on poetry of the first centuries of Islam, including one on imagery in the poetry of Imam al-Shafiʿi (2006) and another on structure in Abu Nuwas’ poetry (2012). And he has numerous studies of contemporary themes and stylistics in Palestinian literature as portrayed in the works of poets and novelists such as ʿAbd al-Rahim Omar, Emile Habibi, Fadwa Touqan, Ghassan Kanafani, and Mahmoud Darwish. His last publication (2021) is a co-authored semiotic analysis of ʿAbdallah Tayeh’s 1996 novel, Faces in Hot Water. 

Saeed al-Fayoumi was killed on 16 July 2025 in an Israeli missile strike in al-Nusayrat Refugee Camp. He had just left the mosque following dhuhr (noon) prayers and was visiting a grieving close friend to offer condolences on the death of a loved one. A missile struck the home, and many were killed or injured. He was 71 years old. 

On his Facebook page, his son, Ibrahim Said eulogized his father and noted that when people were leaving al-Nusayrat in search of safety elsewhere in Gaza, his father refused to leave, insisting that it was better to be a martyr in his home than outside. On the Facebook page of his daughter, Umm Ahmad al-ʿUrayshi, she shared tender moments with her father on Instagram reel. Friends and colleagues posted moving testimonials about what an honorable man he was and the many contributions he made to Palestinian society.  

Photo credit: Gigaza