Since Arafat was raised in Cairo, the tradition of dropping the Mohammed or Ahmad portion of one's first name was common; notable Egyptians such as Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak did so.
Karena Arafat dibesarkan di Kairo, menanggalkan nama Mohammed atau Ahmad adalah sesuatu yang dianggap lazim di sana; tokoh-tokoh Mesir seperti Anwar Sadat dan Husni Mubarak juga melakukannya.