Dr. Talat Fareed Wafa, who died in Riyadh on Monday after a brief fight with cancer, was a veteran Saudi journalist and editor-in-chief of Riyadh Daily, which ceased publication some years ago. He was buried at the Ummul Hammam Cemetery following funeral prayers at King Khaled Mosque. A large number of people, including journalists, senior government officials and diplomats, attended the funeral. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Faten Zamil, a lecturer at King Saud University, and two daughters – Taala, a microbiologist who is doing her master's in Houston, and Lana, a secondary school student. His father Fareed Wafa was a general in the Saudi security forces and his brother, Hani Wafa, is the political editor of Al-Riyadh newspaper. In recognition of his services to the media, Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, met the full cost of Wafa's treatment both in the United States and in the Kingdom. After the closure of Riyadh Daily, Wafa, 53, became adviser to the editor-in-chief of Al-Riyadh Arabic newspaper in January 2004. He underwent cancer treatment in the United States for over a year. He graduated in mass communications from King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh and completed his master's in political communications at the American University in Washington, D.C. He began his career with Al-Riyadh daily in 1976 as a full-time journalist, and soon became the managing editor at its Washington Bureau. He was appointed editor-in-chief of Riyadh Daily in 1989. Wafa's congenial and compassionate nature won him many friends in government, diplomatic and media circles. He interacted professionally with several state leaders, including those from the Middle East, the United States, the United Kingdom and France. His last article published in Al-Riyadh newspaper was on US president-elect Barack Obama and his future policies. Nazir Khan, who was with Riyadh Daily for nearly two decades, most of the time working under Wafa, said he was well-known in professional circles for his honesty, friendliness, and truthfulness. “Wafa was a man of strong character. He never rebuked his staff even if they made a mistake, but was always ready to help and encourage them, because he considered them as family,” said Khan, who now works as an editor with the Riyadh-based Darussalam, the publisher of Islamic books. Vinod Menon, a former journalist with the Riyadh Daily, said: “I have worked with many editors-in-chief, but Talat Wafa was different. He was truly a kind-hearted human being. He would never speak ill of anyone.”
