Arabic term 'habibi' trends after El-Sayed victory speech

Abdul El-Sayed, the first Muslim American elected to the U.S. Senate, addressed Vice President JD Vance with the Arabic term “habibi” during his victory speech.

The word, which translates to “my beloved” but is commonly used to mean “buddy” or “pal,” quickly became a subject of delight among Arab speakers. Supporters of El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, began wearing shirts that read “Habibi for Abdul” in the wake of the election.

El-Sayed directed the comment at Vance, who had previously warned that the senator-elect would lead rioters in burning down Detroit. El-Sayed noted the irony of being constitutionally obligated to be sworn in by the same official he had just addressed with affection. He also mentioned that his campaign had shifted the common phrase “inshallah,” meaning “God willing,” to “hamdulillah,” which means “thank God.”

Across the Middle East, the use of the term generated a wave of social media activity. Many users shared clips from Arab pop music videos featuring the word “habibi.” One user on X posted a video of Egyptian singer Shireen Abd El-Wahab dancing, joking that El-Sayed would adopt the song as a new national anthem. Others shared a meme from an Egyptian film depicting a man laughing at a funeral, captioned with the line, “I came here to crack jokes.”

Khalil al-Anani, an Egyptian academic, praised the senator-elect on X for bringing joy to Egyptians. He described “habibi” as the sweetest word. The outpouring of humor and affection stands in contrast to decades of prejudice faced by Arab and Muslim Americans, including portrayals in popular films and political rhetoric. During the campaign, President Donald Trump referred to El-Sayed as a “jihadist” and misstated his name. In response to those attacks, El-Sayed told Trump he could simply call him “senator” after the January swearing-in ceremony.

El-Sayed is scheduled to be sworn in as a U.S. senator in January.