Saudi businessman gets flak for full-page Trump ad

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Saudi businessman gets flak for full-page Trump ad

Jeddah - "I have not done this for fame"

By Web Report

Published: Tue 24 Jan 2017, 12:51 PM

Last updated: Tue 24 Jan 2017, 3:35 PM

A Saudi businessman congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration as US President in a newspaper advertisement - and Saudis are not happy about it.
Muslat Abu Theneen Al-Sobaie recently published a full page advert in a local newspaper to congratulate the billionaire on becoming the 45th president of the United States, which has received a mixed response from local netizens in the country, Arab News reported.
Issuing such ads are a common practice in the Arab world, to console or congratulate others through newspaper advertisements.
The advertisement was published on the last page of Al-Jazira, one of the most popular local newspapers.

The ad said:

"I congratulate Your Excellency on the occasion of assuming the leadership of the US and wish you and the friendly American people every success and prosperity during your term."

Saudi businessman congratulates president #Trump on taking power in a full page ad on al-Jazeera Newspaper pic.twitter.com/xkxK3VfkHh
- Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) January 22, 2017

Al-Sobaie also told Arab News that the ad marked an appreciation and personal admiration for Trump, specifically "his positions and promises he vowed to address Iranian terrorist expansion in the Arab region and his promises to build an international consensus to fight terrorism."
He was also moved by Trump's "promises toward the afflicted Syrian people."

"The whole world ignored the injustice inflicted on the Syrian people and it also ignored the Iranian expansion in the Arab region in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. We hope that President Trump keeps his promises and puts an end to this (Iranian) expansion in order to deter the mullahs of Iran from implementing their plan to destroy the Arab world."

The Saudi businessman clarified that he issue the advertisement for fame, adding that if he wanted to become famous, then he would have taken out the ad in international media, but said he only wanted to convey his personal point of view.
While many Saudi mocked the advertisement, saying that it was in an Arabic-speaking newspaper that is not circulated in the US. Some opined that Al-Subaie was showing off.