Tayeb Salih (Arabic: الطيب صالح, romanized: aṭ-Ṭayyib Ṣāliḥ; 12 July 1929 – 18 February 2009) was a Sudanese writer, cultural journalist for the BBC Arabic programme as well as for Arabic journals, and a staff member of UNESCO. He is best known for his novel Season of Migration to the North, considered to be one of the most important novels in Arabic literature. His novels and short stories have been translated into English and more than a dozen other languages.

After studying at the University of London with an initial intention to work in agriculture, Salih briefly worked as a teacher upon his return to the United Kingdom. He eventually dedicated himself to publishing. His work addresses political themes and sexual roles, intermingling Arab and Western cultures. He was also a renowned short story writer in Arabic.

His novel, Tiempo de migrar al norte (Season of Migration to the North), published in Beirut in the late 1960s, established him as a leading writer in contemporary Arabic literature, with his work being translated into more than 20 languages. Another notable work, La boda de Zein (Zein's Wedding), was adapted for the theater in Libya and made into a film by Khalid Siddiq in the late 1970s, winning an award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Over a decade, Salih wrote a weekly column for the London-based Arabic newspaper, "al Majalla". He also worked for the BBC Arabic service and served as the Director General of the Ministry of Information in Doha, Qatar. In the last ten years of his career, he worked for UNESCO in Paris. Salih passed away at the age of 80 in London.