Faisal Saeed Farea .. A Rich Journey Between Economics and Culture
Yemenat
Mohammed Al–Mekhlafi
In Yemen’s memory, Faisal Saeed Farea remains one of the nation’s pioneering figures in the fields of economics and culture. He is both an economist and a passionate intellectual.
He was born in the village of Al-Demnah in Taiz Governorate in March 1950 and lost his father in his childhood.
Yet orphanhood did not mark the end of his journey, it shaped his character from an early age. Under the care of his mother and the guidance of his elder brother, Dirham, he learned the first lessons of life and developed a strong dedication to work, inheriting this spirit from a family renowned for its generosity and engagement in commerce.
His educational journey began in the village’s traditional Quranic schools (Ktateeb). He later moved between the cities of Taiz, Sana’a, and Al-Hodeidah, acquiring his foundational qualifications at a time when educational opportunities were limited.
He earned a scholarship to Kuwait University, where he studied Economics and Political Science and graduated in 1974. His academic pursuits continued in Britain, where he obtained a diploma in Economic Development from the University of Manchester.
Upon returning to Yemen, he began a career in the public sector. His roles evolved from managing aid and loans to engaging in policy planning and foreign relations. He also served on the boards of emerging national institutions, including the Yemeni Printing and Publishing Corporation and the National Tourism Council.
As his career progressed, his responsibilities expanded. He joined the board of the Yemeni-Kuwaiti Real Estate Development Company and chaired key committees in Yemen’s history. Most notably, he served as Secretary of the Economic and Financial Committee for the two parts of Yemen and as Chairman of the Committee for Integrating Economic Structures in 1990.
He later transitioned to the private sector, leading several industrial institutions, including the Solidarity Company for Carbonated Beverage Production and Dirham Industrial Company, contributing significantly to their growth and development.
In 1997, he became the Director-General of Al-Saeed Foundation for Science and Culture in Taiz and the Secretary-General of Al-Haj Hael Saeed Anam Award for Sciences and Literature.
In these roles, he oversees the Taiz International Book Fair, manages Al-Saeed Cultural Forum, and actively supports scientific and literary research.
Despite his many commitments, he has never abandoned his passion for writing and research, authoring and reviewing approximately thirty-nine books in the fields of economics, culture, and history.
His works include Economic Papers and Taiz: The Uniqueness of Place and the Grandeur of History, as well as seminal studies such as Qat and Macroeconomics and The Feminist Dimensions of Development.
In recent years, he has spent most of his time at home. Whenever we have the chance to meet him, we are always greeted by a kind and quiet soul, a man brimming with experience and wisdom.
His life journey deserves to be compiled into a book that captures the indelible marks he has left on the institutions and culture he has helped shape.
It would also highlight his persona as an intellectual who seamlessly blends action and thought, upholding a spirit of commitment and sincerity. Through this legacy, his name remains a lasting presence in the modern history of Yemen.