Muhammad Husain Haykal (or Heikal) (born 1923) was a powerful journalist and editor of Al Ahram (1957-1974), widely read in the Arab world and internationally. He also served as an adviser to Egyptian Presidents Nasser and Sadat.

Muhammad Husain Haykal (or Heikal) was born in Cairo in 1923 into a family of middle class origin. He finished his studies at Cairo University with a degree in economics and journalism. At the age of 19 he began his lifelong career in journalism, which not only took him nearly everywhere in the world, but brought him in close contact with many of the world's statesmen and politicians, most notably Egypt's president, Gamal Abdel Nasser. His writings gave him world renown; during the peak of his career in the 1960s and 1970s he may have been the most powerful journalist in the world.

Early Career

Fame and power came rather quickly to Haykal. He...