UAE airport renaming and football club posts draw criticism from Saudi social media users

Emirati social media posts announcing the renaming of Al-Ain International Airport and documenting a football team’s departure for Iraq have drawn criticism from Saudi users, amid reports of attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

The controversy began after the Emirates News Agency (WAM) announced that UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had ordered Al- Ain International Airport to be renamed Tahnoun International Airport, effective Sunday.

The decision was intended to honour the late Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan and recognise his contributions to the UAE.

However, the timing of the announcement, which came hours after a reported deadly attack on Riyadh’s airport, prompted criticism from Saudi social media accounts. Some users described the announcement as inappropriate given the circumstances in Saudi Arabia.

The controversy intensified when Emirati football club Al- Ain published several posts on X about its delegation’s departure for Iraq, repeatedly referring to the airport by its new name.

One post read, “From Tahnoun International Airport,” while another stated that the team was preparing to depart from the airport for Basra to face Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the AFC Champions League Elite.

Some Saudi users interpreted the repeated references to the airport and the language about the team’s departure as an indirect provocation, particularly following reports that the attacks on Riyadh’s airport had caused casualties and disrupted air traffic.

Emirati social media users rejected suggestions that the posts were intended to mock Saudi Arabia, arguing that the airport’s renaming was a tribute to a deceased Emirati figure and that Al Ain’s posts were routine updates on the team’s travel arrangements.