Personal Info
- Country of residence: Portugal
Information
Ziad Al-Jayousi (1955–2025) was a Palestinian -Jordanian writer and journalist . He was born in Zarqa, Jordan, to a Palestinian family from the town of Jayyous, east of Qalqilya in the West Bank, in 1955. He completed his secondary education in Jordan , earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from the University of Baghdad in 1976, and continued his studies in Jordan, obtaining a postgraduate diploma.
He joined one of the Palestinian revolutionary factions in 1968, participated in its battles, was wounded more than once, and was arrested for up to seven years. He withdrew from the factions at the beginning of 1995.
His professional life
Ziad Al-Jayousi served as Director of the Department of Returnee Affairs in Jordan , then as Director General of the Youth Department. He later moved to Ramallah to work as Director General of the Al-Baydar Foundation for Community Culture, Arts, and Media . He was also a member of the General Union of Palestinian Writers and a member of the Jordanian Writers Association .The Jordanian Association of Fine Artists . He began presenting several radio programs about the expression of places in Palestine and programs about fine art for a full year on Bisan Radio in Ramallah .
His literary career
He began writing and publishing in 1972, and he published continuously in the Jordanian and Arab press, including Al-Rai Al-Youm newspaper in London , Al- Arab Al-Youm newspaper in Jordan, Al-Rai, Amman Cultural and Sudan newspapers, in addition to the Maghreb, Algerian and Egyptian press. Al-Quds newspaper and later Al-Hayat Al-Jadida newspaper were interested in publishing his articles, which were titled: “Your Morning is More Beautiful,” and which talked about Palestinian heritage, history and memory.
Ziad also gave dozens of interviews to Arab newspapers, magazines, and satellite channels, and his book signings received extensive media coverage. He was active in cultural and artistic fields, with a particular interest in theater, cinema, and the arts. In addition, he was a founding member of the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center , serving as vice president of its administrative board and then president for three years. He remains a member of its general assembly in Ramallah .
He was also a member of the administrative board of the Ishtar Theatre from 2013 to 2015, and was the vice president of the administrative board of the Arab Internet Writers Union from 2009 to 2011, after which he became president of the Arab Internet Writers Union again for the period between 2011 and 2015.
He was one of the first internet activists in Palestine and at the beginning of 1998 he established the Ramallah Culture and Arts Group on Yahoo Groups , which is considered the first Palestinian cultural group to achieve widespread global reach, with its membership exceeding 4,000. He completed his first exhibition at the Ru’a Center in Amman, the capital of Jordan, in 2008, featuring heritage photographs of the Palestinian city of Ramallah, under the title: Your Morning is More Beautiful - Ramallah. This was followed by several exhibitions about different cities and regions of Palestine, including an exhibition in Damascus and an exhibition in Cairo .
During his stay in Palestine, the occupation refused to grant him a Palestinian identity card from the end of 1997 under the pretext of security reasons, but he refused to leave the homeland until he obtained the Palestinian identity card in late March 2008, which allowed him to leave the city of Ramallah after an eleven-year siege that had forced him to reside in the city of Ramallah.
His works
Published books:
Paper books : Rainbow Spaces/Critical Readings, Rebellious Spectra, Omani Dreams, Smiling Jasmines, Visions in the Spaces of Fine Art, Alama Al-Abdallat: A Journey of Art and Creativity.
Books forthcoming : Your morning is more beautiful: Ramallah / Dreams above the clouds: Critical readings in the novel, poetry and narrative.
E-books including: Whispers of Places/Tours in Palestine, Whispers of Places/Tours in Jordan, Whispers of Places/Arab Tours/Tours in Europe
Books in preparation: The book "You and the Homeland: Wet Paths - Readings in Palestinian Cinema".
Published studies:
- Migration and its impact on the agricultural reality in Jordan – Agricultural Engineer Magazine 1978
- The water crisis in the Middle East – 1+2 – Al-Shaab Jordanian Newspaper
The struggle between the Jordanian and Palestinian peoples from 1939 to 1986
- A research group on refugees in Jordanian camps – Department of Returnees Affairs
His death
The Palestinian Ministry of Culture announced on Friday evening, September 12, 2025, the death of Al-Jiyousi in Amman.
His personal life
He was married to his cousin and had four sons: Dhu'aba, Mustafa, Al-Mu'taz Billah, and Muhammad.
Source
Achievements and Awards
- Years in active
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