UAE
In 2021, following the an analysis of data, Twitter revealed that government-related topics were among the most popular conversations in the UAE. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (@HHShkMohd) once again led engaging Tweets; here is a glimpse of His Highness’s most liked Tweets throughout the year:
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s most engaged Tweets
January: The year kicked off with a celebration of His Highness’s 15th Accession Day as Ruler of Dubai, and his 15th anniversary as Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE.
February: February saw the success of the UAE’s first mission to Mars, as the Hope Probe entered orbit on its first attempt. The most liked Tweet in the UAE for 2021, the triumphant mission was also celebrated by NASA’s own Mars Rover, which congratulated the arrival with the words of poet Al Mutanabbi.
March: Following the death of the United Arab Emirates finance minister and deputy ruler of the emirate of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al-Maktoum, His Highness shared his condolences as he publicly mourned the loss of his colleague.
April: His Highness shared that the first megawatt from the first Arab nuclear plant has entered the national power grid.
May: His Highness celebrated Eid Al-Fitr with the world, sharing his blessings for the future.
June: HH Sheikh Mohammed continued his #LifeHasTaughtMe series, sharing his knowledge and experiences with the public, and the importance of growing together as a united community.
July: July also saw His Highness impart further insight to his followers, sharing his goals and the challenges faced in building a greater life for
the future.
August: Highlighting the strength, and kindness of the community, His Highness shared a video of a cat rescued from an apartment building, calling for the details of the people involved to thank them.
September: As the UAE celebrated the opening of Expo2020, His Highness shared photos from the opening ceremony, welcoming the world to Dubai and the UAE.
October: With the launch of one of the UAE’s largest events of the year, His Highness shared a behind-the-scenes look into his life, with a photo of his favourite encounter at Expo2020 so far. A young girl had been featured in a video upset at the fact she was unable to meet His Highness. After seeing the video, HH Sheikh Mohammed invited the seven-year-old to Al Wasl Plaza for an impromptu meet and greet, posing for photos with her, and turning her dreams into a reality.
November: His HIghness shared his congratulations with the UAE for the successful bid to become the hosts of one of the world’s most important global climate conferences, COP28, in 2023.
Most Engaged UAE Leader Tweets
The year also saw continued interest in Tweets from the wider UAE leadership. Here are some of the most liked leadership Tweets of the year:
HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces (@MohamedBinZayed), penned a heartfelt note for his mother on the occasion of International Mothers’ Day.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, (@HamdanMohammed), shared a heartwarming picture of his newborn twins.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, celebrated the successful mission to Mars.
HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, Deputy Ruler of Dubai (@MaktoumMohammed) thanked leadership for his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.
The most used event-related hashtags
From celebrations of key milestones, through to regional cultural moments, here are the top event hashtags of 2021:
#Expo2020
#رمضان (Ramadan)
#يوم_عرفه (Day of Arafah)
#عام_الخمسين (Year of the 50th)
Most mentioned UAE leaders
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (@HHShkMohd)
HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
(@MohamedBinZayed)
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai (@HamdanMohammed)
SAUDI ARABIA
His Royal Highness King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s most retweeted Tweets
His Royal Highness King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (@KingSalman) drove high engagement across Saudi Arabia, particularly when celebrating cultural moments from Saudi National Day to Ramadan. Here are his most engaged Tweets:
King Salman celebrated Saudi National Day, sharing his thanks for security, stability, prosperity and development being felt across the country.
Marking the start of Ramadan in 2021, His Royal Highness shared his best wishes with the community.
On the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr HRH King Salman celebrated the end of Ramadan, heralding a time of blessings for the country.
HRH King Salman shared his prayers for Eid Al-Adha, celebrating the occasion with the Saudi community.
Most mentioned Saudi singers
In the place to connect, when it comes to celebrities, people from across the world can directly reach out to their favourite celebrities on Twitter, jumping into conversations or sharing their admiration. Here are the most mentioned Saudi singers of the year:
Abdul Majeed Abdulla
(@Abdulmajeed6531)
Mohammed Abdu (@Mohammed_Abdu)
Rashed Al Majed (@RashedTV)
Rabeh Saqer (@RabehSaqer)
The most used event-related hashtags
As 2021 saw a return to in-person events and celebration, so too did Twitter’s most used hashtags in Saudi Arabia. Here are the top tweeted event hashtags:
#رمضان (Ramadan)
#اليوم_الوطني_السعودي (Saudi National Day)
#موسم_الرياض (Riyadh Season)
#يوم_عرفة (Day of Arafah)
#عيد_الفطر (Eid AlFitr)
Most retweeted football Tweets
As fans continued to take to Twitter to celebrate their love of the game, here are the most retweeted moments from 2021 per month:
January: Al-Nassr FC’s former president celebrated the club’s Saudi Super Cup win.
February: Al Shabab Saudi FC shared a stunning picture of its stadium.
March: Al-Nassr FC shared the news of Mohammed Al-Suwailem’s contract renewal.
April: Al-Nassr FC announced Mesli Ben Mahdi Al-Muamar as the chairman of the club.
May: Al-Hilal celebrated its 17th win of the Prince Mohammad Bin Salman League.
June: Al Hilal SFC welcomed Leonardo Jardim as their coach.
July: Al-Ittihad Club celebrated its newest attacking midfielder, Brazilian Igor Caique Coronado.
August: Al Hilal SFC welcomed Brazilian footballer Matheus Pereira as an attacking midfielder.
September: Al-Ittihad Club
praised its goalkeeper Marcelo
Grohe, one of the best keepers in
the league.
October: Al Hilal SFC celebrated its win against Al-Nassr FC in the AFC Champions League semi-final, paving the way to the final match of the tournament.
The most used football club hashtags
#الهلال (Al Hilal SFC)
#النصر (Al-Nassr FC)
#الاتحاد (Al-Ittihad Club)
#الاهلي (Al-Ahli Saudi FC)
The most mentioned football players
Finally, 2021 revealed the most mentioned Saudi League footballers driving conversations across Saudi Arabia. Here are the most mentioned players:
Al Hilal SFC’s Matheus Pereira
(@MatheusPereira)
Al-Nassr FC’s Fahad Al Hurifi
(@Fahadalhurifi)
Al Hilal SFC’s Salman Al Faraj
(@salman_f13)
Al-Ittihad Club’s Fahad Al Muwallad (@fahad_almowalad )
EGYPT
Most mentioned celebrity handles
When it comes to celebrities, people from across the world can directly reach out to their favourite celebrities on Twitter, jumping into conversations or sharing their admiration. Here are the most mentioned Egyptian celebrities of the year:
Most mentioned actors and actresses
Nabil ElHalfawy (@nabilelhalfawy)
Yasmine Sabri (@yasminesabri)
Youssef El Sherif (@ElSherif)
Ahmed Helmy (@ahelmy)
Mohamed Ramadan (@Mohamed_Ramadan)
Most mentioned singers:
Amr Diab (@amrdiab)
Tamer Hosny (@tamerhosny)
Hamza Namira (@HamzaNamira)
Mohamed Mounir (@Mounirofficial)
Mohamed Hamaki (@Hamaki)
Egypt’s fastest growing celebrity handle goes to actress and singer
@somayaelkhashab.
Most Liked Tweets by Mo Salah
Egyptian footballer Mohamed Salah once again stole the show on Twitter in 2021. Here are his most liked Tweets, with pictures:
@MoSalah shared an old photo of him visiting Al-Aqsa Mosque.
@MoSalah shared a photo celebrating a moment of joy with his daughter.
@MoSalah showed off his physique with a photo of himself at the gym.
@MoSalah wished his followers Ramadan Mubarak.
@MoSalah tweeted a photo of himself and football players Hossam Ghaly, Mahmoud Trezeguet and Mohamed Hany.
@MoSalah shared a photo of himself at a stunning beach in Egypt.
@MoSalah tweeted his arrival back in Egypt, with a photo of himself at the airport.
@MoSalah showed team pride, sharing a photo of himself on the field during a game.
@MoSalah tweeted about a match he they lost back in October, with a rallying message reminding fans and followers that the team is going for the title and has what it takes to win.
@MoSalah tweeted a photo of himself enjoying his time in a pool.
