Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai Voted ‘Coolest Celebrity’ by GCC Residents

Arab News
 
 
DUBAI, Sep 17: Young males in the GCC rank Sheikh Mohammed ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum as the “coolest celebrity,” according to a recent survey published in Communicate magazine.

The UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai ranked first among males and fourth overall in the survey, which asked young people living in the Gulf region and others from across the Arab world to name the “coolest” and “least cool” celebrities.

The survey, commissioned by Communicate and carried out in August by Out of Bounds, a Dubai-based youth marketing agency, asked 500 GCC residents, spread evenly between the ages of 15 and 24, to name their coolest, second coolest, least cool, and second least cool celebrities.

The overall “coolest” ranking placed three American actors at the top: Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, and George Clooney. “It was interesting to see Sheikh Mohammed taking a top spot alongside such well-known global celebrities,” said Communicate editor Scott MacMillan.

“This is especially notable because a majority of the respondents did not even live in Dubai, and only 10 percent of them were UAE nationals.”

Of the respondents, 20 percent were Saudi; 10 percent each were Egyptian, Emirati, Indian, Jordanian, Kuwaiti and Lebanese; and 5 percent each were American, European, Qatari and Syrian. All respondents were GCC residents and 227 lived in the UAE.

Participants were not prompted for answers and could choose any person they wished. Of the 20 celebrities deemed “coolest,” nine were Arabs. Of the 20 “least cool,” all were Westerners. Britney Spears topped the “uncool” list, with more than twice as many respondents choosing the American pop star as the least cool or second least cool celebrity to the runner-up, British singer Victoria Beckham.