Sulayman Najm Khalaf, 1946–2023: A Pioneering Anthropologist of the Gulf and Syria

Abstract

This article celebrates the life and scholarship of Sulayman Najm Khalaf (1946–2023), Syria’s first social anthropologist who made important contributions to the fields of Gulf and Syrian Studies, as well as Intangible Heritage. It traces his life’s journey from a Bedouin upbringing in the Euphrates Valley to a pioneering scholar of Syria and the Gulf. It highlights his contributions to the study of society and tribal politics in rural Syria and the impact of oil wealth on the Gulf Arab states –– on Gulf citizens, cities, heritage, identity –– and the lives of migrant labourers who work there. It emphasises his ethnographic rigour and theoretical innovation in the study of social change and modernity. It concludes by assessing his enduring legacy for Middle Eastern anthropology and the academic communities he cultivated.