Meddeb lives between different cultures. In his literary and scientific work he is mainly concerned with the roots and the history of Islam and the difficulties to transfer these traditions into the modern world. His knowledge and opinions are of great interest regarding the Tunisian revolution. Meddeb rejects the allegedly simplistic view of the West, which makes Islam the enemy and criticizes orthodox Islam. In his book Printemps de Tunis. La métamorphose de l’Histoire, published in April 2011, he analyzes the changes in his mother country and describes his personal experiences and reflections.
In 2014, Meddeb dies in Paris.