Egyptian state TV used the Game of Thrones song to show off the new Suez Canal

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi officially inaugurated an extension to the Suez Canal on Thursday amid much pomp and ceremony.

The event is being used as an excuse for a whole lot of nationalist celebrations intended to cement ex-military chief al-Sisi's position as a legitimate President and lift the country out of the economic stagnation it has faced during the last few years of civil unrest.

Not only is Thursday a national holiday, al-Sisi is welcoming both French President Francois Hollande and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to the spectacular planned celebrations, which include a yachting procession to the city of Ismailia, a state banquet and a fireworks display this evening.

The £5.1 billion New Suez Canal project was completed in just one year instead of three on al-Sisi's orders, although economists and shipping analysts have questioned whether there is sufficient traffic and east-west trade to meet its ambitious revenue targets.

Naturally, state television has been closely following today's events, but someone at mission control evidently decided that the celebrations were missing a je ne sais quoi - so people watching at home were treated to footage with the distinctive HBO show Game of Thrones theme tune playing under the commentary:

¯\(ツ)/¯

Hey - if al-Sisi was OK with overthrowing a democratically elected president, he probably isn't too fussed about minor things like copyright.

More: This woman was arrested in Egypt for “inciting debauchery” in a music video

More: This video gives a glimpse of what it's like to be a woman in Egypt