- Global Voices - https://globalvoices.org -

Arab World: Royal Wedding Fever in the Air

Categories: Middle East & North Africa, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Arts & Culture
Royal wedding flag souvenir for sale in a London shop [1]

Royal wedding flag souvenir for sale in a London shop, by John Harper © Copyright Demotix (25/04/11)

The hype surrounding the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton tomorrow (April 29) has reached the Middle East, where some tweeps took a break from covering the ongoing Arab uprisings to remark on the ceremony and reception, which will follow at Buckingham Palace.

From the UAE, Eman R H is gripped with Royal Wedding fever. She writes [2]:

#RoyalWedding fever. Wish I'm in London right now

Kym Brotherton announces [3]:

#RoyalWedding fever hits Dubai!

And, from nearby Abu Dhabi, UAE, Shaima Bent Saleh adds [4]:

It's stupid how businesses in the UAE found ways to capitalise on #RoyalWedding by offering “royal” hotel/ dinner experiences. C'mon!!

Still in Abu Dhabi, Baderya Khalifa confirms [5]:

So my mother is so excited about William's Wedding. #Royalwedding .. :D

After seeing reactions to the wedding, Egyptian Wael Ghonim needed conformation that we are in fact in 2011 and not the Middle Ages. He tweets [6]:

Can someone please confirm to me that we are not in the middle ages? #royalwedding

Also in Egypt, Mahmoud Reda Shahin quips [7](Ar):

لاول مرة اتاكد ان حتى فى الدول المتقدمة … الحكومات عايزة تلهى الشعب على طول #Royalwedding #tafaha
For the first time in my life I am convinced, that even in advanced countries … governments still want to keep their people always pre-occupied

while Omar Biltaji, from Jordan, adds [8]:

Everyone is talking about Z #RoyalWedding ….. What is happening Tweeps? What will [w]e benefit as individuals from this marriage?

Lebanese Mustafa, who blogs at Beirut Spring, too was uninterested [9]:

I care about the Royal Wedding as much as I care about cricket (hint: not at all)

Back in Egypt, Mohamed El Gohary's tweet stopped me in my tracks. It read [10]:

Broom sticks? RT @mand0z: HAHAHAHAHA: Royal Wedding Garden Party at BCA Maadi. Dress Code: Hats and Gloves! http://bit.ly/ioSQ1N

Following the trail, it turns out that the British Community Association in Cairo is actually holding [11] a royal wedding garden party tomorrow too.