The writer and short story writer Muhammad Ali Qudsi recalled his milestones at the Jeddah Literary Club over several decades, most notably the precedent of female presence during the era of club president Abdul Fattah Abu Madin and their participation in poetry evenings, saying: It was the step that nearly cost him his position; as comments by some hardliners spoiled that night.

He touched on many events within the club's walls until Dr. Abdulmohsen Al-Qahtani was appointed a member of the board of directors, and later elected as its president.

This came during an evening held by the weekly session of Dr. Abdulmohsen Al-Qahtani in Jeddah on Wednesday evening, hosting Professor Muhammad Ali Qudsi under the title "Behind the Club's Scenes: My Days with Jeddah's Literati," moderated by Professor Muhammad Bawazir.

The lecture moderator began the meeting by recounting the guest's biography, noting that he has been a member of the Jeddah Literary Club for 40 years, a cultural and media consultant with many publications, served as managing editor of the Civil Aviation Magazine, and holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Stanton University in Florida, USA.

The host then responded to the moderator's words, appreciating his praise, and spoke about the depth of his friendship with the lecturer, which spanned five decades without any disputes; differences that arose were complementary rather than adversarial, stressing that the cultural community should always honor him. The lecturer began his talk by expressing gratitude to the host and moderator for their kind words, recalling his previous lecture at the weekly session about his days with Professor Hassan Awad. He also briefly discussed the era of Dr. Abdulmohsen Al-Qahtani's presidency of the Jeddah Literary Club, and elaborated on Professor Abdul Fattah Abu Madin, describing his presidency as "golden." The guest then continued talking about the events and happenings that occurred over the years within the club's corridors and halls, noting that most of what was mentioned is just a drop in the ocean, and that talking about Jeddah and its literati would take a long time.

The evening witnessed several interventions enriched by: Dr. Muhammad Khader Al-Sharif, Eng. Saeed Farah Al-Ghamdi, Dr. Youssef Al-Aref, director Adel Zaki, broadcaster Muhammad Al-Ra'i, ambassador Muhammad Ahmad Tayeb, Ghiath Al-Sharqi, and Dr. Mahmoud Al-Thumali. In his response to the interventions, the guest elaborated on the state budgets allocated to the literary club, considering it currently in a stage of warrior's rest. He clarified that there is a fallacy in naming the position of "Amin al-Sirr" and that the correct title is "Secretary," stressing that they have, as much as possible, laid down the foundations of leadership and consensus for future generations. He also highlighted his grandmother's role in bequeathing him the narrative approach, noting that they used to avoid quarrels and thorny issues in the contents of lectures at the club. He praised the literary club's role in enriching the cultural movement in Jeddah, announcing the upcoming release of a book adapted from his previous radio program.

The evening concluded with two certificates of thanks: the first presented by Ambassador Muhammad Ahmad Tayeb to the guest, and the second presented by Dr. Saleh Al-Shahri to the lecture moderator.

The guest in brief: * Professor Muhammad Ali Qudsi is a prominent Saudi writer and short story writer, one of the founding names in the cultural and literary scene in the Kingdom, especially in the field of short story writing. * He served as Secretary of the Jeddah Literary Club from 1982 to 2006. * He worked as a cultural and media consultant, and Secretary-General of the Muhammad Hassan Awad Award for Creativity. * He worked at the Presidency of Civil Aviation until his retirement in 2007. * He was honored by the Text Reading Forum in its 22nd session held in April of the current year 2026, in recognition of his long and distinguished literary career. * He prepared many programs for radio and television, including: "A Story from Saudi Literature" and "Tamra wa Jamra" (A Date and an Ember). * He has published several short story collections and novels addressing social and human transformations in Saudi society, receiving wide acclaim as one of the influential figures who contributed to supporting creative energies and enriching the local and regional literary movement.