Profile

Wafic Saïd was born in Damascus, Syria in 1939. His father, Dr. Rida Saïd, was an eye surgeon, who served during the late 1920s and 1930s as Minister for Higher Education. His father also founded Syria’s first university in Damascus in 1923.

His current interests include music, architecture, art and horse racing. His love of architecture and art has been demonstrated in the building of the Saïd Business School and on his family’s Oxfordshire estate where Tusmore Park was awarded the prize for the “best modern house in the classical tradition” at the 2004 awards of the Georgian Group.

Wafic Saïd is married to Rosemary Thompson. They have a son, Khaled and a daughter, Rasha.

He is an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford, and a member of Oxford University’s Court of Benefactors. In 2003 he was awarded Oxford University’s Sheldon Medal, which honours individuals who have made a strategic difference to the life and work of the University.

Wafic Saïd has been Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO of St Vincent and the Grenadines since 1996. He was a Governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company for over 20 years.

As "Grand Commandeur", Mr Saïd holds the "Ordre de Mérite du Cèdre" of Lebanon and the "Ordre Chérifien" of Morocco. 


Horse racing



Bosra Sham winning the One Thousand Guineas in 1996 (Bancroft Photography)

Wafic Saïd is a keen suporter of horse racing with major successes in England and France. During the 1990s his horses enjoyed a string of notable wins including Lady Carla, who won The Oaks in 1996. Winners of Group 1 races were Distant Relative, Croco Rouge, Eton Lad and Come on Rosi, voted Brood Mare of the Year.

His most successful horse was Bosra Sham. Named Filly of the Year by the Jockey Club in 1996, she won races including the One Thousand Guineas, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, the Coral Eclipse Stakes and Group One of the Dubai Champion Stakes in that year.


Lady Carla after winning the Oaks (Gerry & Mark Cranham Photography)