Poll: Obama more popular than US among Arabs

Survey conducted in six Arab countries shows approval of American president runs as high as 58% in Jordan and is lowest among Egyptians, who give Obama favorable ratings of 35%

Reuters|Published: 05.11.09 , 13:02

US President Barack Obama's popularity in leading Arab countries far outstrips that of the United States, suggesting he could be able to boost goodwill in the region toward his country, a survey showed on Sunday.

Obama, set to give a major speech to the Muslim world in Egypt next month, "currently enjoys widespread optimism among citizens of that region that he will have a positive effect on their own country, the Middle East, the United States and indeed the world," the polling outfit Ipsos said.

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Ipsos said its poll, conducted in March, involved 7,000 adults in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan.

Of those surveyed, 33% had a favorable view of the United States, 43% had a negative view, 14% were neutral and 10% said they did not know, Ipsos said.

In contrast, Obama received favorable ratings averaging 48% in the region as a whole. Approval ran as high as 58% in Jordan and was lowest among Egyptians, who gave Obama favorable ratings of 35%, Ipsos said.

Only 22% of Egyptians expressed a favorable view of the United States, the lowest of the six countries surveyed.

Region-wide, only one in 10 residents thought Obama would have a negative effect on their country, the poll showed.

The gulf between Obama's popularity and that of the United States indicated "there is an opportunity for the president to literally 'bridge the gap' where his reposit goodwill lifts the goodwill towards America," Ipsos said in statement.

The White House announced on Friday that Obama would deliver a much-anticipated speech to the Muslim world in Egypt on June 4, seeking to repair ties that were damaged under his predecessor George W. Bush.

Many Arab and Muslim nations were angered by the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, harsh interrogation of terrorism suspects at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Bush's initial reluctance to pursue Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Ipsos said the survey had a margin of error ranging from 2.6 to 3 percentage points depending on the country.