Jamal Khashoggi

Full Name: Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi
Profession: Dissident, Author and Columnist

Biography: Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi Arabian journalist, author, and a former general manager and editor-in-chief of the Al-Arab News Channel. He also served as editor for the Saudi Arabian newspaper Al Watan, turning it into a platform for Saudi progressives. Khashoggi gained international prominence for his outspoken and critical views on the Saudi government's policies, advocating for progressive reforms in the country.

Khashoggi began his career as a regional manager for Tihama Bookstores and later worked as a correspondent for the Saudi Gazette and other Arab newspapers from 1987 to 1999. He covered major events in the Middle East, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the rise of Osama bin Laden, whom he interviewed on multiple occasions.

In the 2000s, Khashoggi continued his career in journalism in various capacities, including as a deputy editor-in-chief of Arab News, and as a media adviser to Prince Turki Al Faisal while he was Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States.

Khashoggi was initially close to the Saudi royal family but later became critical of the government's policies under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, particularly the 2017 Saudi purge and the country's role in the Yemeni Civil War. His criticisms led him to self-exile in the United States in 2017, where he became a columnist for The Washington Post, continuing to criticize the Saudi government from abroad.

On October 2, 2018, Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, to obtain documents related to his upcoming marriage and never came out. Investigations led by Turkish officials and reported in international media concluded that Khashoggi was assassinated inside the consulate, causing a major international controversy.

After several cover-ups and denials Saudi Arabia admitted the journalist had been murdered by what they called "rogue agents" but which is widely believed to have been a deliberate murder ordered by the Saudi crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman.

The assassination was widely condemned and resulted in Saudi Arabia facing numerous threats of sanction and cancelled weapons deals from allies. Khashoggi himself was named as a Person of the Year by TIME magazine's "Guardian of the Truth" segment.

Born: October 13, 1958
Birthplace: Medina, Saudi Arabia

Generation: Baby Boomer
Chinese Zodiac: Dog
Star Sign: Libra

Died: October 2, 2018 (aged 59)
Cause of Death: Assassinated in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, reportedly on the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman