Ramy Youssef appears on Sesame Street as part of Arab American Heritage Month in the US, joining Elmo for a short segment celebrating Arabic language and culture.
The 41-second clip features the Egyptian-American actor introducing a few commonly used Arabic words in a simple, child-friendly way. In a playful exchange, Youssef begins with “salam alaykum”, explaining that “salam” means peace and that the phrase is widely used as a greeting across Arabic-speaking communities. He also teaches Elmo the word “habibi”, describing it as a term for a “special friend”.
During the segment, Youssef shares that he is proud of his Arab heritage, tying the moment to celebrations taking place throughout April in the US. The video has since been shared across social media platforms. It has garnered more than 2.2 million views on Instagram and more than six million views on X, as the time of writing.
“Never in my 43 years of life did I think I would hear Elmo say ‘habibbi’. Is the world … healing???,” one user commented.
Others echoed the sentiment, with one writing: “Elmo was totally meant to be called habibi”, while another added: “This is the sweetest thing ever. Thank you Ramy and Elmo.”
Sesame Street has long incorporated cultural education into its programming, often marking heritage months and spotlighting different communities. Previous segments have included Native American Heritage Month, as well as regular contributions from characters such as Rosita, who shares elements of Hispanic culture and the Spanish language.
The show has also expanded globally through international co-productions, including Ahlan Simsim in the Middle East. Launched in 2020 on MBC, the show features Arabic-speaking muppets such as Basma and Jad, and incorporates regional culture and traditions, including music, storytelling and everyday experiences familiar to children in the Arab world.
The show is the successor to Iftah Ya Simsim, a Kuwaiti production that ran from 1979 to 1990 and aired in several Arabic-speaking countries.
