Against All Odds, Yemen Is Happy Too! · Global Voices
Noon Arabia

Despite all the hard living conditions, the long and recurrent power cuts, the unstable political and security conditions, the negative media coverage, a group of Yemenis managed to show the world that they are living proof to their country's ancient name ‘Arabia Felix’ aka Happy Arabia. Historically, Yemen was known as Arabia Felix meaning Fortunate Arabia or Happy Arabia – a name which was given to it by the Greek geographer Ptolemy. It acquired this name because of its high mountains, which attracted rain, making it more fertile than most of the Arabian peninsula.
The cover video of Pharrell William's viral song Happy was generated with a Yemeni twist, showing the creativity and talent of Young Yemenis, their positive spirit and their sense of humor.
The video was produced in cooperation with Support Yemen and Gabreez and is co-directed by two Oscar nominated directors Abdurahman Hussein and Ameen Alghabri.
Turkish Ambassador in Yemen, Fazli Corman tweeted:
@NoonArabia Which country on earth had the "Happy" title in antique times.. Yemen of course, aka Arabia Felix… http://t.co/ReY6K33AhX
— Fazli Corman (@FazliCorman) May 24, 2014
Mareike Transfeld, a researcher at Yemen Polling, tweeted to Pharell:
@Pharrell you got to check out & RT Yemen's official #Happy video by Oscar nominated @AfroHussain & @AmeenAlghaberi, @SupportYemen always
— Mareike Transfeld (@projectyemen) May 23, 2014
Awssan Kamal, a member of SupportYemen, tweeted:
The Happy #Yemen video shines a light on the darkness yemeni  #youth live thorough today @SupportYemen http://t.co/0epqebRCrh via @youtube
— awssan kamal (@awssan) May 24, 2014
CNN's Mohammed Jamjoum added:
Another showcase of how amazing people of #Yemen are-their version of "#Happy"w pause for power cut-beautifully done http://t.co/Z1t7PZgZYk
— Mohammed Jamjoom (@JamjoomCNN) May 24, 2014
Yemeni blogger Afrah Nasser, living in Sweden, sees it differently. She tweeted:
New blogpost: #Yemen is Resilient Rather Than Happy http://t.co/0U9RRvJI0Z
— Afrah Nasser (@Afrahnasser) May 24, 2014
Support Yemen co-founder Rooj, who is familiar with the hardship of living in Yemen and is also featured in the video, happily pointed:
Despite media rhetoric that we r depressed unhappy #Yemen-is in need of saving. Here is our reponse #HappyYemen https://t.co/LPrk3B40na
— Rooj (@Rooj129) May 23, 2014
“Despite our difficulties our happiness will never cease” is a clear message of resilience from Yemen.