U2 lead singer and philanthropist Bono poses for a seflie with Egyptian filmmaker Amr Salama. (Photo: Courtesy of Amr Salama)
U2 lead singer and philanthropist Bono made short appearances across Cairo Saturday, 2 April.
On Saturday evening, renowed Egyptian filmmaker Amr Salama posted on both Facebook and Twitter a selfie of him with Bono commenting, "One of my life's dreams just became true."
Bono was first spotted at Tahrir square earlier Saturday morning as Ahmed Noshy, a Facebook user who took a selfie with him before posting the photo on his Facebook account a few hours later, confirmed to Ahram Online via Facebook messaging.
Noshy wrote under the photo that went viral, "What a coincidence yes he is who you think Yes he is the Legend Paul David Hewson - Bono -The lead vocalist of rock band U2. I met him in downtown Cairo taking photos to walls' graffiti Unrecognised by anyone .. I can't believe it" the post reads.
"I feel like the luckiest man on earth," Noshy told Ahram Online.
Noshy went on to explain that he spotted Bono at 9.30am while on his way to "Falaki Street to the AUC (American University in Cairo) as I [had] an exam. I saw him taking photos of graffiti. I opened Google as I wasn't sure it was him. I came back and asked him face to face "Is that you Bono?" And he said yes."
He added that Bono agreed that Noshy take a selfie with him.
However, Bono's visit to Egypt is not officially announced.
It is known, however, that Bono tours refugee camps in the region.
On 29 March, Paul David Hewson — Bono — posted on the official Facebook page of U2 a photo of him with a group of children and wrote, "Zaatari refugee camp. 'Hi, I'm here to help' — Bono."
On 1 April, the Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah published that Bono accompanied a delegation of US senators and congressmen in a visit Friday to Syrian refugee camp in southern Turkey's Gaziantep province.
According to the Turkish newspaper, the Irish singer sang songs with children attending a school at the camp, after a chorus of children welcomed the group with songs in Arabic.
On 28 March, Bono appeared live on the "Good Morning America" show from Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, that hosts up to 80,000 refugees, mostly from Syria.
He spoke about the refugee crisis, saying "We now know that what goes on in the Middle East or North Africa this year will spill onto the streets of Paris or Brussels next year and, God forbid, onto the streets of America."
"If what happened in Syria were, God forbid, to happen again to another country, it’s happening already in Libya but, God forbid, Nigeria, Europe is no longer viable."
"That’s a big problem for America," he added.
Paul David Hewson, born 10 May 1960, known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and philanthropist. He is best known as the lead vocalist of rock band U2.
Bono was granted an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for "his services to the music industry and for his humanitarian work," and has been made a Commandeur of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters).
Together with Bill and Melinda Gates, Bono was named Time Person of the Year in 2005, among other awards and nominations.
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