Saudi Arabia’s ‘last communist’ dies in car accident
Writer, cultural critic and social activist Saleh Mansour was known for his communist and socialist ideals in the kingdom
Saudi Arabia’s last remaining communist has passed away in the capital Riyadh after succumbing to his injuries following a car accident.
Writer, cultural critic and social activist Saleh Mansour was known for his communist and socialist ideals among the social and cultural circles of Saudi Arabia.
He was known to have stuck to his ideals in a country lacking in knowledge of socialism until his death on Monday.
Al Arabiya met with Mansour in 2013, when he spoke of the major societal changes in the kingdom saying: “Now we live in concrete civilization, where no one knows his own neighbor.”
“Saudi society before four decades was known to be more open and receiving. The last of us communists believed in socialism and pined for the days when Saudi Arabia was in isolation, making it a more open country before the advent of the radio and other telecommunication tools,” he told Al Arabiya at the time.
He was known for his famous red tie and white shirt, symbolizing his socialist ideals after visiting the Soviet Union during the late 1980s.
He was once asked why he chose to stick to the uniform until the present day, he said: “At least I’m saving others some electricity and water.”
صالح منصور
*A version of this article first appeared in Arabic on AlArabiya.net.
