MUHAMMAD Hassanein Heikal, a leading Egyptian journalist, author, television celebrity, politician and a noted authority on the modern Middle East whose work brought him worldwide fame and influence, died yesterday, aged 92.

Egyptian state television said Heikal, a heavy cigar smoker, died following a short period of illness.

As Egypt’s, and probably the Arab world’s, oldest active and most celebrated intellectual, Heikal was perceived by critics and admirers as a towering figure who had continued to attract attention until his death.

Above all, Heikal was one of the most trenchant defenders of Nasserite Egypt and its pan-Arabism trends.