- Played by Naveen Andrews
BEFORE THE CRASH
- Sayid (Arabic) means 'master' or 'sir' (Honorific title for 'lord' or 'prince' and appropriate for a military officer) while Jarrah is 'vessel'/container specifically for honey. Sayid, as pronounced in the show, means someone who is welcome and gladly accepted.
- A veteran of the Iraqi Republican Guard
- Communications officer, promoted to intelligence division in the Iraqi Republican Guard
- His father's name is Hassan (as seen on his passport via The Oceanic Air Website)
- Haunted by memories of his time as an interrogator in which he would use extreme measures such as torture to gain information
- Allowed a childhood friend/love, Nadia, who he was supposed to be interrogating, to escape after being ordered to kill her. Instead of doing so, he shoots his superior and then he shoots himself in the leg so she could get away with his gun
- Captured by the US Army during the Desert Storm. Meets Sgt. Sam Austen. Tortures his commanding officer in the Republican Guard at the behest of CIA Agent Joe Inman. This is the first time he tortures someone
- Picked up in England by members of the CIA who had been following his movements
- In What Kate Did he is on the TV in the background of the U.S. Army Office where Kate's father works.
- In exchange for information on Nadia, he was recruited to infiltrate a terrorist cell in Sydney to uncover a stolen 300 pounds of C-4 explosive.
- Tasked with convincing Essam, his college roommate from Cairo University, to go through with being a suicide bomber so the intelligence officers could take possession of the missing explosives
- Warned Essam at the last moment to give him time to escape, but Essam became distraught that his supposed friend had deceived him over a woman, and killed himself
- Stayed in Australia an extra day, so that he might arrange a proper Muslim burial for Essam's body.
- Was travelling to the United States to find his childhood friend, Nadia
ON THE ISLAND
- Repaired the transponder recovered from the cockpit
- Used the transponder at a high point on the island and received a looped distress signal.
- Later attemped to locate the origin of the signal, using triangulation, but was knocked out and his equipment smashed. Locke has since claimed to be the one who did so.
- Tortured Sawyer (and accidentally caused severe injury to him) for information on Shannon's asthma medicine
- Felt guilty and left the others to explore the island.
- Captured by Danielle Rousseau deep in the jungle, who revealed that she had been the one who recorded the taped transmission.
- Steals Rosseau's maps and notes
- In love with Shannon
- Is the first member of the group to hear the whispers (see Sawyer, {{Shannon]])
- First met Shannon in the waiting area of the Sydney aiport, when he asked her to watch his bag for a moment. She reported him to airport security as an "Arab man" who had left his bag unattended. She told Boone that she did so just to prove to him that she could do anything that she wanted to do. Sayid was forgiven later by security for the misunderstanding. (Deleted Flashback can be found on Season 1, Disc 7 DVD)
- In Abandoned, tells Shannon that he loves her
- Sees Walt with Shannon right before she runs away and is shot by Ana Lucia.
- Shannon dies in his arms.
- Took radio found by Bernard and given to him by Hurley and fixed it to pick up broadcasts.
- Tortures a mysterious man, named Henry Gale in the One of Them episode, he thinks he is one of the others.
- Thinks Jack shouldn't trust the said man.
- At the end of One of Them seemed to be trying to recruit Charlie for something.
FLASHBACKS
- Solitary
- The Greater Good
- Exodus: Parts 2 & 3
- One of Them