Of all the dialects found throughout Egypt and the Arab world, Saʿidi Arabic is one of the most derided, stigmatised and stereotyped in the media. Salient phonological and semantic features of Saʿidi are associated with unwished traits like nescience, folly and a lack of refinement. These negative indexes are frequently underscored by the media. However, some Saʿidi intellectuals and public figures use these very traits to perform their identity, thus producing a positive stance and pointing out the positive traits of Saʿidis.