Egypt and Saudi in accord, El Sisi for an award and some ports of call

Sarah Khamis tracks what's trending in Arabic social media

Abdel Fattah El Sisi dominated Arabic social media this week. Khaled Elifiqi / EPA

The Arab world fights to stay united; the relationship between Egypt and Saudi Arabia; should Abdel Fattah El Sisi be nominated for a Nobel Prize and where do you go if you’re Emirati and really want to get away? It’s been a chatty week on social media.

Two countries, one hand

The Twitterverse has been watchful about attempts to sow discord between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The two countries are cooperating militarily in the coalition against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, but they aren’t agreed on Syria or Libya.

Do real differences even exist? Are they serious? And if there are some differing opinions, what, if anything, does that mean, Twitter wondered using the hashtag “Egypt KSA two countries, one hand”.

@MSDAR_NEWS tweeted: “The Brotherhood group managed a weak protest outside the Saudi embassy in an attempt to create tension between both countries.”

Shaima @Shaimaelaraby stressed the strength of the relationship, tweeting a photo of Mr El Sisi and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman: “The relationship between the countries is strong and will never change even if people change.”

Mohamed @Mohamed 03631166 tweeted that Egypt and UAE “are brothers forever, no matter what betrayers try to do.”

@ehassany frowned on any disharmony even on Twitter: “Some people spark fights but it’s stupid to reply to their tweets because that makes them successful at what they’re trying to do.”

Mohammed @AlMaskary tweeted old and new photos of both the Egyptian and UAE armies and commented: “How familiar is the past and the future when Arabs unite and win cherished victories.”

Nobel dreams

Last year, the world noted that Mr El Sisi seemed to have become the object of almost cult-like devotion from a country fed up with three years of instability. Now, it seems, they want him to win the ultimate award – the Nobel Peace Prize for helping to unify Arabs. Except that they don’t. Many Egyptians said their president didn’t need a Nobel, he was a hero anyway.

Mostafa @4fc75946c439406 tweeted: “The Nobel won’t add anything.”

Hanan @Hananshooa added: “El Sisi has earned more than a Nobel; he has the love and respect of the whole world.” Rania @rania_bakir expanded on that theme, tweeting that the love and respect that El Sisi had earned from his people was “a 100 times better than a Nobel”.

Mervat @mervatelraf addressed the president: “You are greater than the Nobel Prize.”

But Walid @WalidMahmod simply asked “Why not”.

Travel wishlist

The holiday season and two-week schoolbreak had Emiratis swapping ideas about the best places to unwind.

@ano_333y said she wanted to travel to Palestine and to pray there. For Zaineb @bvcdyuh_ it was India and @i_Jooriy expressed a wish to visit the Maldives but not in her current unmarried state: “I don’t want to go alone, what will I do there?”

@AiiiAliiiiii tweeted that it was hard to pick a dream destination: “There isn’t any one country that I wish to travel to, but several.”

Sarah Khamis is The National’s social media editor

On Twitter: @SarahKhamisUAE