Social networking fans all a-twitter at ‘Twestival’

Salam Hafez

• Last Updated: February 13. 2009 9:30AM UAE / February 13. 2009 5:30AM GMT

DUBAI // More than 100 fans of the online phenomenon known as Twitter met at Le Méridien Mina Seyahi last night to twitter along at their own festival – or Twestival – which took place in more than 175 cities simultaneously.

Twitter is a social networking website that allows its users to share messages of up 140 characters in length. It was once banned in the UAE.

People who register with Twitter can share their messages with friends, social groups, companies and even celebrities.

“The whole point of the festival is to bring business and people together to network and socialise and we have people here from Oman and almost Doha, Qatar, but they chose to host their own party,” said Prashant Gulati, Optimistix managing director, and one of the festival’s organisers.

According to Twitter statistics and the event organisers, 28 per cent of the website’s users in the Arab world are based in the UAE. Last year its membership soared more than sevenfold to hit 4.4 million worldwide.

Alexander McNabb, managing director of Spot On PR, reckons that is because “Twitter is far simpler and easier to use than Facebook and is a means of connecting people together using a very simple application that can be accessed from a computer or a phone”. Mr McNabb, a self-confessed Twitter addict, added: “The majority of people here have met each other for the very first time although they have been speaking online regarding issues of interests for a while.”

Danial Jarwali, 28, an engineer in Dubai, said: “This is my first time to meet everyone here that I have known and campaigned with on issues, and it is nice to put a face to the usernames that I respect.”

“It is a cheap way to communicate with friends without the clutter of Facebook,” said Fiona Barakat, who has been on Twitter for six months. “I have known Danial since the beginning but it’s good to finally see him,” she added.

shafez@thenational.ae