Damascus historian and writer, best known for his works on the modern history of Damascus from the late Ottoman period until creation of the Syrian-Egyptian union republic in 1958. He also authored "East of the Grand Umayyad: Damascene Freemasonry 1868-1965". In 2017, he co-founded The Damascus History Foundation, an NGO aimed at preserving the archives of the Old City, threatened with extinction because of age, poor preservation, or neglect, becoming its founding chairman. Sami has a PhD from the University of Exeter.