Ahmed Matar (Arabic: أحمد مطر, born 1954) is a revolutionary Iraqi poet who has been living in exile for decades, most recently in London.

[1] Matar was born in Tanoma, a small city in southern Iraq in Basra governance.

[3] Due to his harsh criticism of the Arab status quo and its ideology, Mattar has again had to flee Kuwait, as has his close friend Naji Al Ali, who had to leave the country because of his caricatures.

It's an art form whose job is agitating, exposing, and witnessing reality, and aspiring beyond the present.

Matar remains a prominent poet in the Arab world, and his poetry is often cited when criticizing authorities.

On 3 October 2021, Amer Ayad, a Zitouna TV talk-show host, read one of Ahmed Matar's poems on air.

The reading was seen by the authorities of the ruling government as an indictment of President Kais Saied, whose then-recent self-coup proved controversial.