Middle Eastern Ideals
How are manners viewed in the Middle East?
Manners are very important and should always be used while in the Middle East.
What is everything to an Arab? What else is very important to an Arab?
Family is everything to an Arab. Loyalty is extremely important to Arabs.
What is important during a meeting with a Middle Eastern person?
Maintaining eye contact is important during meetings. Even with a translator, eye contact with the other person is key.
Who can search women's areas of a house?
Only other Women are allowed to search a woman's area of a house in the Middle East.
Where are the best meetings mostly held?
Meetings are best in quiet places or private locations.
What is Mens' dress like?
Men dress in anything from robes to jeans.
What is the relationship between friendship and family in the Middle East?
Family is more important than anything. Friends are not as important to Middle Easterners.
What is the differences between what is honored/praised in the Middle East and Western Countries?
Age and Wisdom are honored in the Middle East. Youth and Beauty is commonly praised in Western Countries.
Is hygiene important to people in the Middle East?
Personal hygiene is very important to Middle Easterners, and the washing of hands is done often before and after meals.
What three countries don't like the richer, oil producing countries?
Egypt, Jordan, and Syria don't really like the richer oil producing countries.
What leads to the style of Womens' dress?
Concerns of modesty lead to the way Women dress. They dress in robes and veils.
What is the difference between sons and daughters in a family?
Sons can bring a family honor while Daughters can bring shame to the family
What is a common phrase in America and not acceptable in the Middle East as an answer?
The common phrase "I don't know" is unacceptable in the Middle East.
How old is a large chunk of Middle Eastern people?
A large amount of the people in the Middle East are below the age of 15, which can be good or bad for the country.
What are Arabs paranoid of?
Arabs are paranoid and suspicious of Westerners in their lands.
What do Arabs think causes most things? (Events, outcomes, etc.)
Arabs believe that most things happen because of God, not humankind.
How are women treated and how should interactions occur?
Women are not treated as equally as men. Women should not be interacted with unless they are introduced formally.
What is the difference between our calendar and the Islamic calendar?
The Islamic calendar and practices are based off the Lunar Calendar, resulting in 353 or 354 days per year, instead of our 365 days each year, excluding leap years.
Why are large families important in the Middle East?
Larger families are important in the Middle East because the children take care of the elders when they grow up later in life.
What isn't used as country boundaries in the Middle East?
Countries' boundaries are not aligned with tribal or ethnic concerns.