Saudis on the popular social networking site Twitter recently launched a hashtag in Arabic that seeks to diffuse the current spat between Egypt and Saudi Arabia by encouraging users to write about famous Egyptians who have positively affected their lives. Saudi Twitter users responded well to the hashtag campaign and tweeted the names of famous Egyptian personalities and expats including authors, religious scholars, entertainers, scientists and educators who have had an impact on their lives. Others tweeted about the fond memories they had of Egyptian teachers in school, their co-workers and famous Egyptian Qur'anic reciters. In return, Egyptian Twitter users showed their appreciation for the campaign and said relations between the two countries will always remain strong. Famous Egyptian activist Wael Ghonim, a past resident of the Kingdom, weighed in on the controversy and issued an apology on his Twitter account to Saudis for the behavior of some Egyptians. “I apologize to the Saudi people for any abuse. I have a lot of Saudi friends and cherish their friendship and I appreciate the current campaign that defends Egypt and Egyptians,” said Ghonim on his personal Twitter account. __
