Thuraya Qabil, a Saudi Arabian poet and journalist, died on February 4, 2026, aged 85.
Born in Jeddah in 1940, she earned a degree from the National College in Beirut. In 1963, she published The Weeping Rhythms, becoming the first Saudi woman in the Hijaz to issue a poetry collection.
The book was a success, and many of its poems were later set to popular songs.
Thuraya Muhammad Abdul Qadir Qabil (sometimes spelt as Gabel, Arabic: ثريا محمد عبد القادر قابل; 1940 – 4 February 2026) was a Saudi Arabian poet and journalist.