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Munif was a journalist and cultural critic considered to be one of the most important modern Saudi writers of the 20th century.
He was born in 1933 in Amman, Jordan, to Saudi parents. In 1952, he moved to Baghdad to study law and was later based in Cairo. He obtained his doctorate in oil economics from the University of Belgrade in 1961.
He is the author of 15 novels, including the quintet Mudun al-Milh (Cities of Salt) about the evolution of the Arab world in the age of oil. Other books include Al-Nihayat (Endings), Sharq al-Mutawassit (East Of The Mediterranean) and the three-volume historical novel Ard Al-Sawad (Land of Darkness Trilogy).
His works have been translated into more than 10 languages. He has also won awards for his writing, including the Al-Owais Cultural Prize in 1989 and the Cairo Gathering Prize for Arab Creativity in Novel Writing in 1998.
Munif died in Damascus in 2004, aged 71.