Internationally renowned Middle East and North Africa political expert Sami Hamdi is currently touring South Africa, where he is engaging audiences on the global challenges facing the Muslim ummah, while also unpacking the untapped power and potential the ummah holds in an increasingly complex world.
Hamdi holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in law from the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London. He is the editor-in-chief of The International Interest, a political consultancy advising individuals and corporations on international affairs.
Hamdi attributes his political awareness to his father, Mohamed Hechmi Hamdi, a Tunisian political activist who fled to London under threat of persecution.
“My father was very active in politics; he was the head of the student movement in Tunisia, head of the Islamist Tunisian Student Movement, sentenced at 20 years of age, imprisoned at 19, imprisoned at 20, had to flee Tunisia, went to Algeria and then Sudan, and then ended up in London. He then became a prominent voice in trying to push back against dictatorial regimes in Tunisia, and I grew up under that sort of umbrella, even if it was not something I wanted to embrace, as I wanted to be a footballer,” stated Hamdi.
Although Hamdi initially aspired to a career in football, it was a pivotal moment with his father that redirected his path. His father handed him The Road to Mecca by Muhammad Asad, an autobiographical account of a Jewish man’s journey to Islam and his contributions to the Muslim world, which left a lasting impression on the young Hamdi.
“One day my father, when I was 17 or 18, put a book in my hand titled Road to Mecca by Mohammad Asad. The book is about an Austrian Jew who travels across the Middle East, becomes Muslim, and ends up contributing to many of the seismic events that take place in the region. He becomes an advisor in Saudi Arabia, goes and meets Omar al-Mukhtar in Libya, goes to India, meets Muhammad Iqbal, and ends up helping to write the Pakistan constitution. I remember reading that book and saying, ‘Allah, I want to have a life like this guy,’” explained Hamdi.
Hamdi pursued a legal education with hopes of entering politics. However, his career ultimately pivoted toward political risk analysis — a field in which he advises on the geopolitical impact of events, particularly in the Muslim world. It was during this period that he began to challenge common assumptions about the dominance of global superpowers.
“A lot of the clients you would sit with, the dynamics they would ask you about would suggest that they were not entirely in control, nor did they fully understand the situation, and that there was so much grey area in what was happening, meaning that this idea we have of America ruling the world or Zionism ruling the world, and you would sit with members of the United States Department of State, and they would ask you questions, and you’d question why they are worrying about this,” questioned Hamdi.
This revelation sparked a deeper conviction about the agency and influence of the Muslim ummah. Hamdi observed that multinational clients often sought strategic advice on how to respond to actions initiated by Muslim communities — from boycotts and protests to political movements — highlighting the ummah’s capacity to influence the global landscape.
“This role of an analyst was very liberating for me in opening my eyes to the fact that we are not controlled or dominated because the other side might be powerful. We’re almost controlled and dominated because in our minds we think we are powerless when we are not,” said Hamdi.
Empowerment is at the core of Hamdi’s message during his South African tour. He draws not only on current geopolitical issues but also emphasizes spiritual conviction and the power of belief as outlined in the Quran.
“Allah had always said in the Quran that he is capable of changing anything, that he can flip hearts, that he can give you power where it’s lacking. Allah says it over and over in the Quran; we memorize it as we are growing up, but it’s almost like you don’t believe it until it comes up,” stressed Hamdi.
Tickets for Sami Hamdi’s South African tour are available via Quicket.
You can listen to the full interview here:
