Safi Saïd

Safi Saïd, from his complete name Ahmed Safi Ben Ibrahim Ben Haj Ali Saïd, (born 22 September 1953) is a Tunisian journalist and writer. He was a candidate in the 2014 Tunisian presidential election and in the 2019 presidential election.
He is considered to be one of the major intellectuals in Tunisia since 2011, especially after the spread of his expression "the Arab Spring" that he coined to refer to the appraisals that took place across several countries in the Arab world back then.
Personal life
In his twenties, Safi Saïd left Tunisia to study history, journalism and political sciences in Algeria. At university, he attended lectures of prominent journalists such as Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, John Fontain, John Daniel and Saad Zahran. Inspired by the left atmosphere that prevailed among the intellectuals at that time, he founded along with a group of Arab and African students the "Voluntaria" movement which allowed him to travel to big cities and across continents.
Saïd visited Angola during the Angolan War of Independence and then he visited Cuba, Vietnam and Iraq. He was arrested in Jordan due to doubts about his left-wing relations and visit to these countries. After his release, he moved to Beirut where he witnessed the Lebanese Civil War starting from the year 1976. He joined the press and published articles in many famous Lebanese newspapers. In the late 1980s he settled in Paris where he established two magazines; Gallery 4 and Africana. He returned to Tunisia, and launched in collaboration with "Jeune Afrique" the Arabic version of the same newspaper.
After the Tunisian Revolution, he launched the newspaper Orabia which was first released as a magazine.
In October 2011, Safi Saïd ran as an independent for Constituent Assembly of Tunisia election, representing the city Gafsa. On the occasion of the 2019 Tunisian parliamentary election, he was elected independent deputy from the second district of Tunis.
Career
As a contributor :
"Al Hadaf" magazine, "Assafir" magazine, "Likul Al Arab" magazine, "Acharq Al Awsat" newspaper, "Al Majala" magazine.
As an Editor in Chief :
"Riwaq 4", Africana, Jeune Afrique in Arabic, Geoarabia, Arabia.
Main publications
Biography of Ben Bella, ed. Sin Sad, Beirut, 1981
The satanic triangle, ed. Sin Sad, Beirut, 1986
The years of the labyrinth: on the altar of the 21st century, ed. Sin Sad, Beirut, 1994
Fever 42, ed. Bissan Publishers, 1996
Casino, ed. Dar El Moultaka, Beirut, 1997
The cursed thresholds in the Middle East, ed. Bissan Publishers, Beirut, 1999
Bourguiba, a semi-prohibited biography, ed. Riad El Rayyes Books, Beirut, 2000
The divine gardens, ed. Soutimidia, Tunis, 2001
Arab's autumn, ed. Bissan Publishers, Beirut, 2005
The return of imperial time and the end of the fatherland, ed. Riad El Rayyes Books, Beirut, 2006
The prostate years, ed. Ourabia, Beirut, 2011
Revolution's dialogues, ed. Ourabia, Beirut, 2012
Pre-revolutionary deliveries, ed. Ourabia, Beirut, 2013
Royal seduction, ed. Ourabia, Beirut, 2013
Post-revolutionary controversy, ed. Ourabia, Beirut, 2014
The Tunisian equation, ed. Ourabia, Beirut, 2014
Bloodthirsty geopolitics, ed. Soutimidia, Tunis, 2015
Kitsch 2011, ed. Soutimidia, Tunis, 2016
The great call to the last of the Beys, ed. Soutimidia, Tunis, 2017
Gaddafi, an intact biography, ed. Soutimidia, Tunis, 2018
Tunisia. How to create the future ?, ed. Soutimidia, Tunis, 2019
Geopolitics of Nations : The Critical Transition from Imperialism to Meta-imperialism, ed. Soutimidia, Tunis, 2021
His work
1953 births
Living people
Tunisian journalists
Tunisian writers