Social media in Egypt was ablaze this weekend as users expressed outrage over an apparent mislabeling on Google Maps, which showed Ras El Hekma, a region on Egypt’s North Coast, as belonging to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The uproar was ignited after users noticed that searching for Ras El Hekma (also spelled Ras Al Hekma and Ras Al Hikma) on Google Maps displayed the term “State of UAE” under one of its locations. However, did Google actually label the area as part of the UAE? A closer look at Google Maps reveals that is not the case. While “State of UAE” indeed appears clearly when searching for Ras El Hekma on Android and Apple devices, this description is not the result of an official designation by Google. Instead, it stems from a user review on Google Maps. Google Maps often highlights highly rated user reviews under the names of lesser-known locations. In this case, the quote “State of UAE” is from a review left by a user named Syed Basharat, which received over 75 reactions—more than any other review in the area (six in total have been left to…
Did Google Really Label Egypt’s Ras El Hekma as ‘State of UAE’?
October 6, 2024
