How can I not be a “living memory” when I am writing about the biography and career of a caring father who opened up the horizons of working in the field of journalism for me at the beginning of my giving in the court of Her Majesty more than three decades ago. He represented in his value, being and the beauty of his literature, an attractive fatherly figure for everyone who worked with him during his presidency of the editorial board of Iqraa magazine. I will never forget, as my colleagues in the editorial department will never forget, the weekly meeting after the publication of each issue, just as we cannot all forget that meeting that was arranged for us to visit His Royal Highness Prince Majed bin Abdulaziz - may God have mercy on him - the Emir of the Makkah Al-Mukarramah region at the time, had it not been for His Highness’s circumstances that prevented that visit from happening. Talking about Professor Yahya Bajnaid must be diverse and varied due to the diversity of his skills and specializations, as he is a satirical writer, short story writer, journalist, cartoonist, visual artist, radio broadcaster and screenwriter, the son of old Jeddah, from which he drew his popular taste, wrapped in its authentic heritage and ancient tales. Yahya Muhammad Bajneid was born in 1368 AH in the Al-Sham neighborhood in Jeddah, also known as the merchants’ neighborhood. Between this ancient neighborhood and the Baghdad neighborhood, the features of his personality were formed, blending the colors of the heritage that combines the city and the desert. Life in those neighborhoods was simple, surrounded by the warmth of relations between neighbors, their solidarity and cohesion. All those who lived there knew each other and met morning and evening, and their work, stories and interests intersected. This left a deep impact on Yahya Bajneid and other writers and authors in Jeddah who were attached to and influenced by their upbringing and memories in those neighborhoods. He says about this in an article in the newspaper (Al-Riyadh): “My conscience has always been linked to the city center, not just my city, but all the cities I visited when I was fascinated by traveling far from dangers. This was before the world trembled around us.. and people’s conditions changed.. and human humanity embraced evil.! I am a moderate in my passion, I am delighted by these calls.. and voices.. My popular mood, dressed in modernity, surges with the movement of (bicycles) with fenders decorated with (shatraton) in the colors of the clubs.. and the carts pulled by the most patient of God’s creation with people.. I laugh at the mischief of childhood whenever someone stumbles or slips or one head or shoulder collides with another.. or whenever the adults reprimand one of the children, who deviated from the right path with a simple or sudden movement.! Those are the days that have passed, I keep them as a way of remembering.. I enjoy their fragrance and their revelation from time to time with my friend, Professor Saad Al-Humaidin, who wandered as I did in these pastures, riding or walking, and although he did not care about the cold, he was high in spirits with the familiar height of Taif. ” His father’s library was his favorite place where he was fond of reading and was influenced in that by his father and his maternal grandfather, who encouraged him to read since childhood. He also showed a talent for drawing in his youth. Regarding the beginning of his journalistic career, Bajneid said in a literary evening held by the Riyadh Literary Club in 2011, and excerpts from which were published by the newspaper (Al-Riyadh): “My beginnings in journalism were through my passion for reading, which I inherited from my father, and my influence from my maternal grandfather, in addition to my tendency towards drawing at that time, as I would sit in my father’s library, drawn between reading and drawing, as the first signs were with the brush and pen. Journalism is my home and radio is my beloved. Radio is still my passion, because it allows its listeners to participate in what they hear. However, journalism and its paths led me from one journalistic station to another through many local newspapers, the last of which I am proud to have been a writer for the newspaper (Al-Riyadh). I can say that my column (Hasbun Allah) has passed through most of the local newspapers.” Bajneid worked in the field of journalism, progressing from editor to deputy editor-in-chief, until he was assigned to head the editorial board of Al-Madinah newspaper. He was also chosen as editor-in-chief of Iqraa magazine, then editor-in-chief of Hajj and Umrah magazine. Bajneid wrote in all Saudi newspapers and magazines, as well as in “Caricature” magazine and the Egyptian “Al-Jumhuriya” newspaper. He also drew political and social caricatures since 1390 AH and was awarded the Shield of Merit as a pioneer in drawing caricatures at the first Arab Caricature Festival in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Bajneid says that his work in journalism allowed him to meet many of its icons in the past period, as he was influenced by them, learned from them, and found encouragement and praise from them. Among the most prominent people he mentioned on various occasions are Professor Hassan Katbi, Muhammad Hussein Zaidan, Abu Turab Al-Dhaheri, Abu Abdul Rahman bin Aqil Al-Dhaheri, Abdullah bin Idris, Abdullah Al-Jafri, and others. Yahya Bajnaid was attracted to radio since his childhood, as he was keen to follow its programs and write down his notes and information about it. He did not stop there, but he was keen to visit it when he was young and later after he worked in journalism. He met some of the flags of radio work in the Kingdom and benefited from their experiences and advice, including Professor Abbas Ghazzawi and Professor Badr Karim, to later present a number of successful radio programs that the audience followed and anticipated, before he excelled in the field of radio drama, where he wrote many satirical and awareness radio series that provided a smile and awareness at the same time. Among those who worked with him in radio work were Saeed Basiri, Khaled Zare’ and Ali Al-Badani. Among his most famous radio programs are (Kalam Ala Kad Al-Kalam) with colleague Farida Abdul Sattar, the romantic program (Masahat Lel Raha) with his colleague Amal Siraj, (Nahar Akher) directed by Sultan Al-Ruqi, the program (Hamsah) directed by Abdullah Manshi, and (Abbas And Abbasiya) and also (Oh my master) and others. In an interview with Al-Madina newspaper, Bajneid tells a funny story that happened to him when he was young when he met the great professor and broadcaster Abbas Ghazzawi in the radio studios on Airport Street, where he asked him: “When you grow up, what would you like to do, smart guy?” He replied: “I will open a shop and sell sugar and tea.” The beautiful broadcaster laughed that day. Bajneid says, commenting: “Honestly, today I say I wish I sold sugar and tea!”

Studying Fine Arts
The love of drawing and plastic arts took hold of Yahya Bajneid’s heart for a period of time, so he was sent to study fine arts at the Italian Academy of Florence, the city of love and lovers, and graduated after years during which he tasted art and literature in Italy and got to know its icons such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Titian and Raphael.

After the profession of troubles stole him from artistic work for many years, Bajneid held his first art exhibition in Jeddah in 2017, where it was opened by Ms. Nadia Al-Zuhair and organized by the Jeddah Atelier for Fine Arts, and his last exhibition was last year in the (Dama Art) gallery. Speaking about Yahya Bajneid’s first solo exhibition, artist Hisham Qandeel, director of the Jeddah Atelier, told Al-Riyadh newspaper: “The atelier organized an open artistic dialogue about the works of artist Yahya Bajneid, their pros and cons, with the participation of an elite group of artists and critics. Qandeel pointed out that this exhibition has been long awaited for more than a quarter of a century, especially since artist Yahya Bajneid is one of the first Saudi artists to study art in Italy, like his colleagues Bakr Shaikhoun, Othman Al-Khuzaim, and Ali Al-Raziza. However, Her Majesty the Press took him away from the world of fine art, although he did not stop drawing and continued to practice his hobby through quick drawings and sketches that accompany his writings, stories, and novels. Professor Yahya Bajneid held many positions, including his presidency of the editorial board of Iqraa magazine for a long time, in addition to other publications. This exhibition will be like a dialogue between the brush and the pen, especially since the artist possesses both talents at the same time.” International visual artist Ghadir Hafez said about him: “Artist Yahya Bajneid is an artist of high thought, beautiful recitation, and a sensitive and logical person. He is an artist with a high artistic sense, and an artistic and philosophical culture that deserves appreciation. His sculptural works make you feel that he is making what he loves, and that he has a very high sense in employing and combining materials. I met him at my fifth personal exhibition “Diaspora between Truth and Fantasy”, and his presence was distinctive and elegant when we exchanged dialogue. At that time, I knew that we have artists in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who deserve all appreciation; they have their artistic history and their works speak for them, and they have a high culture.” Professor Ibtihal Bajneid, a visual arts trainer, spoke about him, saying: Professor Yahya Bajneid enjoys a lot of appreciation and respect in the visual arts community. What distinguishes him most is his accurate, objective criticism of the paintings, to the point that artists wait for the moment he passes by their works to hear his opinion and criticism of their works. We had the honor of hosting him as part of the works evaluation committee at the “My Beloved Homeland” exhibition, in which 45 artists from different regions of the Kingdom participated. This confirms his great artistic value and the wide appreciation he enjoys within the art community. Regarding his journey with art and writing, Professor Saleh Bouqari, the former president of the House of Fine Artists, also told the newspaper (Al-Riyadh): “Yahya Bajneid is a talented artist who has excelled in every art form. He is present among journalists and writers of radio series, is skilled in caricature, and is a master of short stories. He is also a visual artist who was stolen from the art scene by writing and journalism decades ago, and unfortunately the art scene did not receive him, unlike journalism, literature, and radio. Bouqari adds: “Bajneid invited me to his studio where he was preparing for his first personal art exhibition. He was reviewing with me the paintings that would be included in his exhibition in Jeddah. I had the honor of sharing my opinion with him on these artworks that embody his ideas, imaginations, and projections, which reflect his personality that is sometimes haunted by surrealism and sometimes simplicity. You find that in his characters, colors, and subjects of his paintings, and even in the titles and names of his artworks. We know him as a writer, broadcaster, and penman. We know him as an artist. I reviewed with him his works, which amounted to forty paintings, as they carried the identity of an exhibition with integrated artistic elements in form and subject that the art scene had long awaited.” Yahya Muhammad Bajneid edited Hajj and Umrah magazine, and was a member for several years of the jury for the Best Journalistic Work in Hajj Award organized by the Ministry of Hajj, which consisted of an elite group of media professionals, writers, and journalists, such as: Muhammad Salah al-Din, Abdul Fattah Abu Madin, Abdullah Khayyat - may God have mercy on them - Ahmed Mahmoud, Farouk Luqman, Dr. Ahmed al-Youssef, and others. Yahya Bajneid has published many books and novels, including: (A Man and a Half), (A Grumpy Man), (This is the Age of Reason), (God is Sufficient for Us), (Adam's Apple and the Foreigners' Refrigerator), (Al-Bazan and the Baghdad Flood), and also (And from Love What I Live) and many others. He has many satirical writings, short stories, popular zajal, and short tales. He also has a documentary work titled "Ridya and Good Intention".

Bajneid has participated in many cultural evenings, whether at the Jeddah Literary Club or the Cultural Renewal Center, as well as at the (Echo of the Self for Distance Learning) Academy.

A satirical style in a beloved language
What distinguishes Yahya Bajneid most is his satirical style, whether in his articles, dialogues, or even his novels. He is distinguished by his blending of classical Arabic and the Jeddah dialect, which has given him a unique character among his fans. He is also characterized by a sense of humor, beautiful modesty, and good morals, which have been attested to by everyone who has known him or dealt with him, whether in the field of journalism, media, or art.
His daughter Iman, who writes articles in Al-Bilad newspaper and some other newspapers, followed in his footsteps. As for his son Ayman, he described him in an interview with Okaz newspaper as “the beautiful writer who will not be courted by the press.” In the same interview, Bajneid answered which is closer to his heart between journalism and radio, saying: “Two eyes in one head.. Journalism is my home.. I write, eat and drink in it.. And radio is my youth and torment.. My passion and love, but it is a one-sided love.. And man does not live by love alone.” Bajneid defended the style of sarcasm that surrounds his writings and answers in his interview with Okaz newspaper, where he answered the secret of the prevalence of sarcasm in his pen as a writer and his brush as a painter, saying: “No tyranny, nor sorrow.. Satirical writing is not buffoonery or gossiping in gatherings.. It is a spirit, a thought and an identity